A common tavern that connects all fantasy worlds

For several doctors, it was not difficult to determine the cause of his death... He was hit hard on the back of the head, and a large piece of his skull was shattered. It seems that the part of the brain stem was damaged, and he lost his life on the spot.

No one else would be with him in this kind of place, and the murderer who killed him was of course Professor Hill.

"Speaking of which, just now I clearly saw that 'professor' being thrown down by those guys in the morgue... How did he survive and escape while taking advantage of the chaos?"

Paladin Jess frowned and said.

Chapter 38 Crossing the Deadline

Carl Hill's human resurrection experiment succeeded, but also failed.

The success is that he did use potions to awaken the dead people, and those people have basic thoughts and can speak, even if they may have some intellectual defects, it does prove that "consciousness" exists in them.

The point of failure is that those who get up again seem to be no longer human beings... No matter what they looked like before they were alive, they certainly wouldn't think about eating human flesh all day long.

It's even a bit too much to say that it's instinct... Eating is indeed an animal instinct, but it's a limited response to hunger, not an endless greed for flesh and blood.

Yes, Hill can't think of a reason for this behavior other than "greed".

What follows is speculation about the cause of the failure.

The brain can be said to be the most fragile organ of the human body. The impact, bleeding and extrusion that will not cause great harm to other organs may cause severe damage to the brain, amnesia, loss of function, affect the nervous system, and cause Some limbs are out of control.

The theory that Professor Hill has been insisting on before is that the brain will lose all activity within 6 to 12 minutes after death, and it is irreversible.

Although this theory has been overthrown by the fact that the drug invented by Herbert West, no one knows what the reaction process of the "reverse death" is like, what happened in the brain, and why it regained consciousness , unless the experiment can be designed more strictly, control conditions can be defined more precisely, and the experimental process can be observed more directly.

Hill felt that he should not have this opportunity.

Without turning on the light, he collapsed on the sofa at home, and unbuttoned his shirt in the dark.

The entire front of his body had been bitten off... From the bottom of the neck to the abdomen, even several pieces of internal organs had been ripped out.But when he lost these things, he was still conscious, watching himself being torn apart and taken away by those guys...until he suddenly saw the injection needle in his hand, and realized that there were still some medicine left in it.

After pushing that at most one drop of medicine into his veins, his death process was forcibly stopped, and the living corpses never came to him again, allowing him to hide in the ventilation system of the mortuary. Climb out little by little.

At the same time, since the people in the hospital were concentrating on dealing with the living corpses rushing out and attacking them, no one noticed that a guy covered in blood had quietly escaped.

Recalling this, Hill suddenly let out a "huh", and felt that he seemed to know why the resurrected corpse did not look like it did before death...

There is a very interesting debate topic in modern physics, that is "continuity".

Hill wasn't much of a physicist, and never had a deeper understanding of the subject than necessary, but that was all he needed to borrow.

The question is, is there continuity in the existence of “consciousness”?Is the human mind continuous?

Or in other words, when the continuity of thinking is forcibly cut off, can it be said that human "consciousness" has disappeared?

The most popular sci-fi works have sparked discussions with one of their settings: Will some "transportation" technology using "particle replication" technology lead to the change of human existence?What if the information is passed along with it?What if it is not a copy, but dissociated in batches, and then assembled as it is?

If consciousness didn't exist, it wouldn't be a problem at all.When you take your own toy car apart and put it back together, isn't it the same car?

People are different, self-awareness has boundaries, and no one will think that their clones belong to the same individual as themselves.

Thinking in this aspect can also be extended to, if you upload your consciousness to other recording devices, is the one in the device really you?If part of your brain has a lesion, and the doctor replaces the lesion with artificial brain cells, just like the prosthetic limbs that are widely used today, will you still be the one who walks off the operating table?If artificial brain cells are only implanted at a rate of ten per day, to what extent are you not you?

Combined with the observations from the experimental samples just now, Professor Hill boldly speculates that maybe "consciousness" must indeed be continuous...so at the moment of death, the consciousness of those dead people has disappeared; the body is awakened, and the brain is active again Afterwards, they produce a completely new self that has nothing to do with their life.

"But I'm different from them. I took the medicine while I was still alive..."

Hill thought, and took out another fluorescent green potion from the bag he threw beside the sofa.

"I will not become like them. I still have a clear consciousness and my cognitive ability is not affected at all. I will be the master of this new strong body!"

He couldn't help talking to himself in his empty home, and then, as if he had made up his mind, he dug out a syringe from somewhere.

On the other side, in the confinement room of Miskatonic Medical College, Dean Horsey led Dan and Paladin Jess, opened the door, and found Herbert who was sweating and waiting for news.

"What kind of potion did you invent?"

This question was the first thing the dean said after he came in. He still had lingering fears about what happened in the hospital morgue. Of course, he was also curious about what turned those corpses into monsters that could move freely and crave human flesh and blood. .

Herbert had to re-explain to him his own theory, as well as the actual invention, and of course the process of preparation and the general formula could not be left behind.

The more Dean Horsey heard, the more frightened he became, and he deeply felt that foreign exchange students would be subject to stricter scrutiny in the future... He used to think that even if young people make trouble, it would not be serious, but now that he sees it, If they were ignored, they might have overturned the earth long ago!

Listening to Herbert talking about the discovery of the medicine formula and the preparation of the medicine, the dean finally couldn't hold back and asked, "You applied to come to Miscatone on your own initiative, is it just for some kind of medicine that can only be found here?" The 'Cattail Bean Calyx' in stock?"

"It's not just for raw materials, I also refer to some materials in the library called 'occult books'."

Herbert answered earnestly, "In the past ignorant age, many analyzes and utilizations of nature and biomass were classified as 'witchcraft' and 'alchemy'. It is most likely to be found in occult books. Miscattoni’s library is well-deserved of its reputation. When I was at the University of Zurich, I got a partial copy of a certain book, and only then did I refer to the description in it to find some raw materials...

"But that formula failed, and the process of failure was tragic. In order to further understand the nature of the raw materials and test the rationality of the formula, I had to find the complete and original version of that book."

Dan, who was standing by the side, had already begun to have an ominous premonition, and he immediately asked, "What book is that?"

Herbert turned to him, and opened his mouth to announce the title of the book that shocked the dean: "The Necronomicon, Abdullah Alhazad."

Dean Horsey nodded painfully.

Indeed, if there was anything in the school library that could have done this, it must have been the book?

Although it is not included in any official documents, as one of the school's controlling leaders, Dean Horsey knows that the only complete and isolated ancient book has caused many strange events, and everyone who comes into contact with it is doomed Not only did many people die, but most of those who survived were mentally disturbed, howling day after day in the inpatient department, and speaking some unknown language.

For most people, the content of books is beyond comprehension.

Its length structure is clear and clear, and the writing logic is perfect, but there are a lot of metaphors, code words and ambiguous words between the lines, like the ravings of a madman; I don’t know if it has lost part of the information due to too many translations from the original classics. Or is it that the original script itself is so crazy and weird.

But if you are a genius, a guy who can really use imagination to cross the gap of common knowledge, then you can definitely see the part of knowledge you want from this book.

For example, Herbert West found a key raw material from a formula in the book.

The book describes that this plant "can bloom tens of thousands of flowers at a time, and the flowers are very small and crowded together, like a finger-sized pillar covered with small eyes."

Herbert searched all the plants found in the world, selected species that probably fit the description, and experimented on them, but none of them had any magical powers... until he discovered the "Dun Whiskey cattail beans".

The plant is named after the location where it was found, and it is said that all plants only grow on the site of an abandoned farm outside Dunwich.

Herbert cut off a small piece of the specimen while no one was paying attention, and analyzed it at home, only to find that its calyx was the missing link of the potion—the real key to reversing death, returning vitality to the body of the deceased among.

After several people sat in silence for a while, Dean Horsey finally made a decision and said, "We have to find him immediately... Carl Hill is a stubborn and even unreasonable person, even when he is suffering There is no going back after such a setback.”

"...I am deeply moved." Dan nodded.

"Mr. West, your suspicion is temporarily released. Now please act together with your friends, participate in the search in the college, lead the way for the campus police and teachers, and carefully check the key locations. I will lead another team with the sheriff People went to Hill's house, hoping to find him."

After saying this, Dean Horsey took out his pocket watch, looked at the time on it, and sighed.

Chapter 39 Evolution

Horror is not only hidden in areas beyond the reach of human beings, such as the deep forests of the mountains, the dark valleys where the streams flow, and the lightless abyss under the ocean, but also hidden in the landscapes we see every day.

This is what a gray-haired old gentleman who was a professor of geology at the time said as a joke when Dean Horsey was chatting with his colleagues at the reception when he was promoted to a full-time post.

He said that this was a motto written by an outstanding graduate. It was engraved on the wall of a certain student dormitory, and it is still there until now. Come on, it is almost becoming an urban legend in the school, and no one wants to live in that dormitory.

As long as you don't think about why an outstanding geology graduate would write such a thing, Dean Horsey thinks this motto still has a bit of charm, especially now, when I think about it again here and now, I feel even more gloomy The feeling of terror followed like a shadow in this familiar scenery.

Together with the sheriff of Arkham, he was leading a dozen people towards a residential area.The street lights on both sides of the street flickered, and the shadows of the trees on both sides swayed in the wind. The rustling wind made several police officers shiver involuntarily.

Professor Hill's home is on this street, right behind the fountain garden in the center of the street.

Dean Horsey and the sheriff exchanged glances, walked forward first, and knocked on the door: "Carl, can we talk? Open the door, Carl, I'm Allen!"

After calling for a long time, there was no response from the house.

The sheriff patted Horsey on the shoulder, signaling him not to knock anymore, and turned his head to signal the policeman under him.

Several policemen came up immediately, and after busying around the door for a while, they finally came to the conclusion that the door was unlocked.

A few of them gently opened the door and walked in with their guns. They saw that the room was pitch black with no lights on, and there was no response when pressing the switch on the wall. It should be that the switch of the whole house was pulled.

Under the order of the sheriff who followed behind, they raised their flashlights and walked deep into the room while guarding their surroundings.

Dean Horsey also followed, carefully following behind the sheriff in this poorly lit environment, his eyes widened, trying to find his friend by the light of the flashlight.

Suddenly, he saw a dark figure over the kitchen, and immediately asked over there: "Carl?"

The police officers immediately turned their flashlights and guns, and they saw a tall and thin figure standing in the kitchen and in front of the cabinet.His back was facing this side, the clothes on his body were torn and covered with blood, and he didn't know why he was standing there in a daze.

Dean Horsey, who was worried about his old friend, was the first to say: "Carl, the matter over there has been dealt with. Inadvertent operation caused an experimental accident, even if it is finally confirmed that you really snatched Herbert West's The result... at most, it is just an academic problem. You must not do anything stupid, the matter has not reached the point of irreversibility!"

"...Really..." Carl Hill, who was standing there, replied with a very strange voice, "Alan, don't lie to me anymore. So many people have died, why don't you say something to me? It's not irreparable to the point of'... you don't think I'm stupid, do you?"

Hearing that his tone was wrong, the sheriff was about to order his men to shoot, but found that they stood there motionless and unable to make a sound, and the weapons and flashlights in their hands fell to the ground with a crackling sound.

The lights in the whole room suddenly turned on, and everyone could see clearly that it wasn't the power supply of the room that was cut off just now... but a layer of red and black flesh covering the ceiling of the entire room, and it was only now that it was wriggling, crawling, and scattered. It opened, like a large group of earthworms twisting and twisting together, suddenly a large piece fell off, exposing the light in the middle.

Looking at the feet, flesh and blood of the same color covered the entire first floor like a rubber carpet, and even climbed up the legs of all the people in the room at this time, and even tentacle-like things had climbed to the top, It got into the mouths and noses of the police officers, causing them to roll their eyes and shake their limbs. Not to mention fighting back, even normal actions were a problem.

The thing that looked like a human back in the kitchen turned out not to be a real human being, but a whole pile of flesh, wearing a piece of tattered clothes... The real Hill was standing behind everyone, at the corner of the door, from a pile of The naked body squeezed out of the cocoon-like thing.

He was covered in blood, the surface of his skin became extremely rough, and several centimeters thick lumps grew around his facial features, so that Dean Horsey could hardly tell whether he was a human being or his old friend.

However, his upper body has basically maintained a human shape... The lower body connected to the twisted flesh and blood crawling on the ceiling, floor, and walls is even more terrifying. The blood that flows out of the cocoon is no longer blood, but yellow-green pus, with an unpleasant stench.

Dean Horsey couldn't hide his horror, especially when he found that the sheriffs and police officers around him had been entangled by tentacles like chickens and ducks in a slaughterhouse, lifted into the air, and were pierced into their chests by tentacles. After opening the ribs and digging out the heart.

"The heart doesn't matter, the brain doesn't matter, the consciousness... doesn't matter. Ahh, I'm gradually understanding everything."

Whether it was Carl Hill or not, said in a deep, slow voice, "n'gha ah'sgn syha'h."

After a few muffled thuds, a dozen corpses were thrown beside Dean Horsey, and the tentacles that grew out of the ground were covered with yellow-green, slightly fluorescent pus from the cocoon. , once again got into the wounds of the corpses.

It didn't take long for the corpses to get back up convulsively, their limbs moving crookedly, and they walked towards the door of this house.

"You, what are you doing! Karl!... God, do you still exist here, Karl!"

Dean Horsey cried out in despair, there was no other way.

"Of course. My existence is more wonderful than ever, my old friend!"

Surrounded by tentacles, that human-like but not-human body squeezed from the flesh and blood all over the ground, and opened its eyes in front of Dean Horsey.

His voice that became extremely hoarse continued: "Your eyes are also full of fear and disgust for this appearance, just like other ignorant human beings, who don't know that they are facing eternity.

"Time that you cannot perceive precisely... is the world's greatest humiliation and mockery to human beings, everyone will eventually grow old and die without dignity after a short life journey.

"Even before the end of life, our body will start to decay first. No matter how many times we take a bath, we will still smell bad, and we will be stared at with contempt by those little ghosts who don't understand anything; rheumatism , arthritis, ear, nose and throat problems will come to your door, and even a slight change in temperature will make you sore all over; no one wants to listen to you, even your peers will only find you annoying.

"You gradually forget about important or unimportant things, and you end up becoming a piece of crap who can't do anything.

"Everyone regards you as a burden, because you can no longer contribute value to society, and you are just consuming resources needlessly.

"But did you get 'old' as a punishment for what crime you committed? Did those who dislike you get 'young' as a reward for doing something right?

"No, it's not, it's just that the world itself is like this, this is a necessary process for human beings!

"You are as unwilling as I am, I understand, Alan... I have now found a way to transcend time, the surging vitality is pouring out of my body, and even my sharp wisdom has returned... …I can even see the world for what it is, receiving knowledge that floats beneath the truth.

"Give the 'vehicle' of your life, and join me in true eternity."

Alan Horsey was so shocked that he couldn't speak, and he didn't notice at all that several tentacles had already climbed up from his back, wrapped around his neck silently, and then twisted violently.

Dean Horsey's eyes were bulging, he stuck out his tongue, and opened his mouth to try to inhale air, but the tentacles were wrapped too tightly... It seemed as if he was going to strangle his neck, no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't get it out of his mouth. Rip it off yourself.

He quickly lost the strength to struggle, but it was not until a few minutes later that his body was put on the ground by those tentacles. of the jugular vein.

[129. No. 129]

Before long, Horsey also got up from the ground, listening to the guy who used to be his friend, the voice that seemed to be ringing in his ears whispered to him:

"Go, go, take those potions, let them join us."

Hill sneered.

He guessed right, he did retain consciousness, and what was stronger than that... he even had the ability to manipulate other living corpses.

Those who were turned into living corpses by potions after death would not have any memories of their lives, nor would they have normal consciousness, and their spirits would be weaker than normal people.

With his current ability, and the unknown level of connection between the same "medicine creation", he can completely control them to complete more complicated things.

For example... using the identity of a policeman and a professor, a powerful body to kill unsuspecting passers-by, and transform into the same living corpse?

Or, that little bitch, Megan Horsey, where is she now?Did her little boyfriend die in the hospital?

A twisted and ferocious smile appeared on Carl Hill's face, and the tentacles on his lower body squirmed, sending him back into the cocoon.Countless flesh and blood poured out of this house, towards the grass outside the door and the sewer, like some kind of slime mold.

Dean Horsey's pocket watch fell to the ground, and the time on it pointed to twenty minutes before midnight.

Chapter 40 Invasion of Darkness

At Horsey's house, Megan, who was lying in her bedroom, always felt restless.

After her father was called out by a phone call, she never came back, and she was left alone at home... Since then, she has not been able to fall asleep, and all kinds of strange fears have come and gone.

Even if I lie on my bed and try to close my eyes and clear my cluttered thoughts, my heart is still beating fast, as if it is about to jump out of my throat, more like a rapid drumbeat, which is specially used to dub horror movies kind of.