bookbashuk Chapter 53 Zhang Jie and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3
Chapter 53 Zhang Jie and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3
"I'm going to get it all back, with interest!"
Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341's low growl echoed through the empty, deathly quiet Elm Street, colliding violently with the omnipresent, chilling sense of being watched and the lingering hoarse laughter of Freddy, as if igniting some kind of fuse. The crimson light in his eyes was no longer a simple scan or data stream, but burned with a cold, murderous intent that blended Zhang Jie's arrogance with the absolute rationality of the "Guide."
This killing intent was not unfounded. The instant his words fell, Wang Lin's warning and Chu Xuan's data arrived almost simultaneously within the mental matrix:
"A high concentration of abnormal dream energy has been detected converging around the target (Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341)! It's highly targeted! It's coming for him!"
"The energy fluctuation pattern matches the description of 'high resonance danger' indicated by the main god with a 97.3% accuracy. Freddy has identified it as the primary target."
Before the words were even finished, a sudden change occurred!
It didn't come from the outside, but from Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341 itself!
His body jolted violently, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer! His scarlet electronic eyes, burning with battle intent, suddenly lost their light, distorting and flickering like a screen with a poor signal, displaying large patches of gibberish and light spots! The muscles in his face twitched uncontrollably, his calm expression shattering instantly, replaced by a twisted expression of extreme pain, fear, anger, and utter bewilderment. A series of incomprehensible, broken syllables, a mixture of metallic scraping and human groans, escaped his throat.
Even more horrifying, beneath his white guide uniform, a faint, dark red, blood-like light emanated, forming irregular, pulsating, seemingly breathing spots of light on his chest, forehead, and limb joints. The stench of rust and acrid burning in the air suddenly intensified tenfold, almost becoming tangible, making one want to vomit.
"He...he's been dragged in!" Zhan Lan exclaimed. As a psychic, she clearly "saw" a vast, viscous, and malicious dream force, like black asphalt, frantically pouring in, eroding, and pulling at the newly activated and unstable "humanity" loopholes and "divine" cracks in Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341's mental world! Freddy didn't choose to launch a direct attack in the physical world, but instead took advantage of the moment when Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341's mental defenses were most vulnerable, launching his most skilled and deadliest technique—dream invasion!
"Zhang Jie!" Zheng Zha's eyes widened in fury, and he was about to pounce on him.
"Don't touch him!" Wang Lin shouted sharply. At the same time, the mental matrix and the nascent Light of the Mind erupted at full power! A pure, resilient golden-white mental field, imbued with the qualities of "order" and "connection," instantly expanded from his center, attempting to envelop and stabilize Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341's violently turbulent consciousness, which was being forcibly dragged into the abyss of nightmares. Zhan Lan also unhesitatingly transformed her mental power into the most resilient barrier, assisting Wang Lin in "anchoring."
However, Freddy's power, within his own domain, was more ferocious and unpredictable than imagined when targeting such a "tempting" vulnerability in the mind. Wang Lin and Zhan Lan's mental energy fields seemed to have collided with a constantly writhing, suction-filled wall of darkness, not only unable to penetrate it, but their own mental energy was being slowly eroded and assimilated by that nightmarish power! Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341's body swayed even more violently, the light in his eyes grew dimmer, while the dark red spots of light grew brighter and brighter, even beginning to writhe on his skin as if trying to break free.
"Physical contact is ineffective, and conventional mental confrontation is inefficient. The target is on the verge of being forcibly dragged into a deep dream. Conventional methods cannot stop him on the real world." Chu Xuan's voice was cold and rapid, his fingers almost blurring across the portable terminal. "The only solution: actively enter his dream, within Freddy's domain, to conduct a rescue and confrontation. Risk: The rescuer will also be trapped in Freddy's nightmare, and death in the dream is equivalent to death in reality. Success rate unknown."
Entering Zhang Jie's nightmare? In Freddy's home turf, confronting the demon who revels in manipulating people's hearts and creating fear?
This suggestion weighed heavily on everyone's hearts. But looking at Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341's increasingly out-of-control condition and rapidly fading life force, everyone knew that there was no other choice.
"I'll go!" Zheng Zha said without hesitation.
"We need a mental linker to lead the way. I'll go in." Wang Lin pressed Zheng Zha's shoulder, his eyes sharp. "My Mind Light and Matrix are the only 'channels' that can establish a stable connection in his chaotic consciousness and bring you in. Chu Xuan, you monitor from the outside, using data support to find loopholes in Freddy's dream rules or clues to 'tokens.' Zhan Lan, you have the strongest mental power. Come in with me and be responsible for stabilizing my and Zhang Jie's consciousness connection and fighting against Freddy's mental pollution. Zheng Zha, you have the strongest physical combat power. The 'damage' in the dream is reflected in reality to some extent. You need to go in and deal with any physical entities or nightmare creations that Freddy might manifest. Zero Point, Ming Yanwei, you stay on guard from the outside, preventing any changes in the real world and be ready to provide support at any time. Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, Zhao Yingkong, you assist Chu Xuan and Zero Point."
In the blink of an eye, Wang Lin completed the most efficient allocation. No one objected.
"Go!" Wang Lin shouted, no longer trying to pull Zhang Jie's consciousness away from the outside. Instead, he increased the connection strength of the mental matrix to its limit, fully activating the Light of the Mind, transforming it into a purest "mental beacon." It reversed course and actively plunged into the "channel" through which Freddy had invaded Zhang Jie's consciousness! At the same time, through the matrix, he firmly "grabbed" the consciousnesses of Zhan Lan and Zheng Zha, dragging them into this journey to an unknown nightmare!
The world spins, colors peel away, and the boundary between reality and illusion blurs and disappears like melting wax.
When Wang Lin regained his senses, the scene before him made him gasp in shock.
This wasn't Elm Street. Instead, it was a vast, empty, cold, inhumanly textured, pure white space. The space had no boundaries; all around was an endless expanse of pale white. Countless, translucent chains, shimmering with cold data streams and runes, crisscrossed like a spiderweb, covering the entire space. At the core of these chains, a figure was imprisoned—Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341!
At this moment, his appearance was even more bizarre. Half of his body remained in the human form of the white Guide uniform, but dark red spots of light constantly writhed beneath his skin, his expression contorted in pain. The other half took on a translucent, inhuman "Guide" form composed of constantly refreshing data streams and cold metal structures. The two forms, bound by chains, constantly clashed, twisted, attempted to merge, yet repelled each other, emitting a teeth-grinding creaking sound and a hissing sound of energy annihilation.
This is the manifestation of the "battlefield" deepest within Zhang Jie/ZJ-7341's consciousness! Those chains are the "Guide Protocol" and "Repair Shackles" of the Supreme God! Half human, half machine, is the direct embodiment of his current contradictory state of "half-human, half-guide"! And Freddy's intrusion, like the most vicious catalyst, is frantically stimulating and amplifying this contradiction, causing the two to clash violently, attempting to completely tear his consciousness apart!
"Welcome... to my playground, little snacks..." A hoarse, mocking voice, like the scraping of metal, echoed throughout the pure white space. Then, from the shadows of countless chains, a tall, thin figure slowly "grew" out, wearing a red and green striped sweater, an old top hat, and a gleaming steel claw glove on his right hand. His face bore grotesque burn scars, his gaping mouth revealed jagged teeth, and his eyes burned with pure, undisguised malice and...greed.
Freddy Krueger. He manifested directly at the core of Zhang Jie's consciousness space!
"How...beautiful the contradiction. How...delicious the pain." Freddy extended his long, charred tongue and licked the tip of his steel claw. His gaze swept over Wang Lin, Zhan Lan, and Zheng Zha, finally settling on Zhang Jie, who was struggling in agony. "A soul trapped by itself, half wanting to be human, half a machine...hehehe, let me help you turn that remaining 'human' half into the sweetest fertilizer of fear!"
He suddenly swung his steel claws! Not to attack Wang Lin and the others, but to slash fiercely at the cold data chains that imprisoned Zhang Jie and represented the "Guide Protocol"!
Sizzle—!
Amidst a piercing sound, as if space itself were being torn apart, several chains snapped, transforming into countless scattered data points! But the break did not lead to freedom; instead, it gushed forth even more viscous, dark red "spiritual pus," filled with Zhang Jie's painful memories and fears! This "pus" rapidly polluted the surrounding pure white space, staining it dark red, and began to condense and twist, transforming into distorted, blurry, and malicious fragments of scenes—scenes from the depths of Zhang Jie's memory: nightmares of A Nightmare on Elm Street, the pain of becoming a guide, the eruption of the Zero Relic, the helplessness and guilt of watching his teammates perish while he couldn't fully intervene…
Freddy was "helping" Zhang Jie break free of the shackles of the "Guide Protocol," but his purpose was to release the purest pain, fear, and human weaknesses that were suppressed by the shackles. He would then use these as "fuel" to completely pollute and devour the remaining "half of humanity," driving Zhang Jie to madness and collapse in endless pain, making him his eternal plaything and source of power!
"Stop him!" Wang Lin roared, unleashing the full power of his spiritual light. The golden-white light transformed into countless resilient threads, shooting towards the "spiritual pus" gushing from the broken chains, attempting to purify and stabilize it. Zhan Lan also fully activated her spiritual barrier to resist the pervasive fear pollution and spiritual impact emanating from Freddy. Zheng Zha roared, his entire body enveloped in red and white energy, and lunged at Freddy, unleashing a punch that distorted even the dream space itself!
"Hehehe...useless..." Freddy chuckled, his figure flashing like a ghost among the crisscrossing chains, easily dodging Zheng Zha's fierce attacks. His steel claws lashed out intermittently, severing more "Guide Protocol Chains," releasing even more pain and fear. "Here, fear is power, pain is fine wine. The more you help him, the more you resist, the more intense his inner conflict becomes, and the more 'delicious' it releases! Let me see if you purify his pain first, or if his pain...drowns you first!"
The battle raged fiercely within Zhang Jie's core consciousness. Wang Lin and Zhan Lan fought with all their might against the negative spiritual torrent unleashed by Freddy, originating from Zhang Jie himself, like trying to repair a crumbling ship in a raging storm. Zheng Zha battled Freddy's nightmare entity, but in this space of consciousness, Freddy was almost invisible and intangible, moving with unpredictable speed. Zheng Zha's physical attacks mostly missed, and he was frequently put in grave danger by the terrifying spiritual impacts Freddy unleashed with his steel claws. As for Zhang Jie himself, under the dual torment of constantly breaking shackles and the frenzied outpouring of painful memories, his consciousness grew weaker and weaker. The part of him that was "half-human," polluted by the dark red "pus and blood," began to dim and distort, as if it would be completely devoured and assimilated at any moment.
"No! He can't hold on like this! Freddy is exploiting his own contradictions!" Wang Lin roared in the mental link. His purification speed was far from keeping up with the speed of Freddy's destruction and pollution. Zhang Jie's "half-human" light was becoming thinner and more turbid at a visible speed.
Just then, Chu Xuan's voice, transmitted through a faint but complexly encrypted data signal—barely detected by Wang Lin's spiritual light—came in from the outside world. It was intermittent, yet every word carried immense weight:
"Wang Lin...listen carefully...Freddy's tactic...is to exploit 'contradiction'...but 'contradiction' itself...is also the key..."
"The Guide Protocol... suppressing humanity... humanity rebelling against the protocol... it's a vicious cycle..."
"To break this deadlock... we must introduce... a third party... with a higher priority..."
"Use... the 'Tears of the Sun'... no, it's a fragment of the 'Golden Book of the Sun'... combined with your... 'Light of the Mind' property..."
"Using fragments as the 'core of purification'...using the light of your soul as the 'connection and definition'..."
"In Zhang Jie's consciousness... a new, temporary, unified 'concept of existence' was forcibly 'defined'..."
"This concept... must be able to simultaneously accommodate... 'Zhang Jie's humanity' and 'the protocol functions of the guide ZJ-7341'..."
"Use this concept... as the 'furnace'... use your will and emotions... as the 'flame'..."
"At the critical point of conflict and destruction created by Freddy... reverse melting!"
"The goal: not to eliminate contradictions... but to forge a higher, temporary 'unity' based on those contradictions!"
Even if...it's only temporary!
"This is... the only possible... chance to temporarily 'complete' him from his 'half' state!"
"The risks are enormous...potentially triggering...backlash from unknown rules...or even...personality overwriting or chaos..."
Chu Xuan's suggestion was like a bolt of lightning in the darkness, cleaving through the fog in Wang Lin's mind!
That's it! Freddy is exploiting the "half-human, half-guide" conflict to drive them to self-destruction. What they need to do isn't to eliminate the conflict (that's virtually impossible), nor is it simply to protect one side; it's...
To create a new, temporary, and unified "higher form of existence"!
Use fragments of the "Sun Sutra" (originating from legends of gods and demons, containing the power of order and purification, and having a strong restraining effect on negative spirits) as the "purification and stabilization core".
He used Wang Lin's "Light of the Mind" (whose characteristics resemble contracts, connections, balance, and definitions) as a "framework for defining rules and forcibly connecting."
Using the knowledge, emotions, and memories of "Zhang Jie" held by everyone in the Zhongzhou team, as well as Zhang Jie's remaining desire for "self," as "the raw materials and flame of will to shape this new form."
In Zhang Jie's consciousness space, amidst the destructive energy turbulence created by Freddy, a high-stakes, spiritual and rule-based "reverse forging" takes place!
Goal: Not to become "100% Zhang Jie" again, nor to become "100% Guide 7341-ZJ".
The goal is to, in this desperate situation, use that fragment and the will of the people as fuel to forcibly ignite something that can temporarily unify the two and unleash power beyond "half" of their original strength.
"Zhang Jie in his complete human form (temporary/special state)!"
Even if this state is temporary, unstable, and may even bring unknown consequences, at least it can free him from the fate of being immediately devoured by Freddy or torn apart by his own contradictions! It can allow him to face Freddy as a "complete person" and reclaim control of his own consciousness!
"Understood!" Wang Lin's eyes shone with a golden-white light as he roared at Zhan Lan and Zheng Zha through the mental link, "Zhan Lan! Help me stabilize the mental link with all your might and expand the influence of the Light of the Mind! Zheng Zha! Hold Freddy off at all costs and buy us time!"
The next moment, Wang Lin stopped purifying the gushing "spiritual pus and blood". Instead, he gathered and condensed all the power of his spiritual light, along with the immense spiritual power that Zhan Lan had provided, into an incomparably condensed, blazing golden-white beam of light with a strong will of "definition" and "connection". This beam pierced deep into the core of Zhang Jie's "half-humanity" consciousness, which was being polluted by dark red and gradually dimming!
At the same time, through the mental matrix, he issued the strongest mental shout to all his teammates outside, conveying Chu Xuan's plan, his own intentions, and the "emotional and cognitive fuel" that he needed from everyone without reservation!
"Everyone listen! Think of Zhang Jie! Think of that rogue soldier who fought alongside you in Resident Evil! Think of that veteran who cursed and protected newcomers in Ju-on! Think of that teammate who let us 'repair' him at the last moment in Ruins Zero! Think of the 'brothers' he just shouted! Think of the Zhang Jie you remember, the Zhang Jie you know, the Zhang Jie you hope he will become—the complete, vibrant Zhang Jie who laughs and curses, who will die alongside us! Send this 'knowledge' and 'emotion' to me through the Matrix! Now! Immediately!"
In an instant, on Elm Street outside, Ba Wang, Li Shuaixi, Lingdian, Ming Yanwei, Zhao Yingkong, Chu Xuan, and even O'Connor, all closed their eyes at Wang Lin's resolute shout, clearing their minds of all distractions. Their minds were filled only with the image of Zhang Jie—the man in his military uniform, smoking a cigarette, with a lazy yet sharp smile, who would risk his life at crucial moments! Countless memories, fragments of emotion, trust, worry, anger, relief, and anticipation… transformed into invisible yet powerful, warm and resilient spiritual torrents, surging wildly towards him through the mental matrix maintained by Wang Lin, towards the golden-white pillar of light that pierced Zhang Jie's consciousness!
Wang Lin himself suddenly pulled out the fragment of the Golden Sun Sutra from his pocket (the reflection in his consciousness space)—a fragment he had obtained from the world of gods and ghosts, which he had never used and was now emitting a warm and majestic seven-colored light! Without hesitation, he pressed this fragment, along with the pillar of light formed by his own spiritual light, into the deepest part of Zhang Jie's "half-human" consciousness, causing it to collide and merge with the massive torrent of emotional perceptions of "Zhang Jie" transmitted by the crowd!
"I define this link with my heart!"
"Use this fragment to purify the process and stabilize the core!"
"With our will and memory, we will reshape your form!"
"In this place of contradictions and dead ends, in this abyss of nightmares—"
"Forge your true name, and call you back!"
"Zhang Jie!"
Wang Lin's roar, mixed with everyone's inner cries, and the magnificent purifying light erupting from the fragments of the Golden Sun Sutra, exploded in the center of Zhang Jie's consciousness space, which had been turned upside down by Freddy!
Golden-white spiritual light, seven-colored purifying light, countless warm and resilient emotional memories... intertwined, spun, and compressed wildly, forming an incomparably blazing vortex of light. This vortex forcibly swept up and devoured Zhang Jie's "half-humanity" consciousness, which was being polluted and torn apart, as well as the fragments of the broken data chains representing the "Guide Protocol" around him, and the dark fears and pain that Freddy released, which originated from Zhang Jie himself!
Freddy let out a shriek of alarm and rage: "No—! How dare you—! This is my playground! My meal!"
He swung his steel claws wildly, tearing through space and unleashing more and more terrifying nightmares in an attempt to disrupt and interrupt the process. Zheng Zha roared, his red and white energy burning to its limit, even at the cost of injury, using his body to withstand Freddy's attacks, holding him tightly and preventing him from getting any closer to the vortex of light! Zhan Lan bled from her seven orifices, her mental energy nearly exhausted, yet she still desperately maintained the stable mental connection between Wang Lin and the vortex, and between Wang Lin and the outside world.
The vortex of light grew brighter and faster, its swirling energy becoming increasingly terrifying. It was no longer pure spiritual power or energy, but began to carry a hint of... a sense of forced definition, forced integration, and forced "forging" at the level of rules!
Then--
At the center of the vortex, the outline of a "human" figure began to slowly emerge and coalesce.
First it was blurry, then it became clear.
It was a man's figure. No longer the distorted, half-human, half-machine state. He wore a familiar, slightly worn military green jacket and trousers, with sturdy military boots on his feet. He was tall and straight, yet possessed a weathered composure and a restrained explosive power. His face was Zhang Jie's face, with strong features, a light stubble on his chin, and a habitually pursed mouth that carried a hint of nonchalance, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle's.
His eyes... were no longer the scarlet electronic eyes. Instead, they had returned to normal, human eyes, clear and distinct in black and white. Yet, deep within those eyes, it seemed as if an endless galaxy of data and the mundane realities of life had settled, a depth that was chilling.
He stood there, seemingly both ancient and newly born. He didn't radiate intense energy, yet possessed an indescribable, complete, and profound sense of presence. He resembled Zhang Jie, a seasoned veteran who had weathered countless trials in missions, while also subtly carrying the cold indifference and detachment of a "guide" who understood the rules. These two qualities weren't separate; rather, they were perfectly blended in a strange way, forming a new, more powerful, and more profound aura.
He slowly raised his hand, looked down at his own hands, which were clearly knuckled, calloused, yet undeniably human, and clenched his fist slightly before relaxing it.
Then, he raised his head.
His gaze calmly swept across the pure white space (now stained with large patches of dark red and gold) that had been ravaged by his internal struggle and Freddy's invasion. It swept over Zheng Zha, whose face was covered in blood but whose eyes burned with fervor; over Wang Lin and Zhan Lan, who were mentally exhausted, swaying but persevering. Finally, it settled on Freddy Krueger, who looked bewildered and even somewhat exasperated because his plan had been interrupted and because he felt the "complete" aura emanating from this "new creature" that instinctively disgusted and threatened him.
The corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile.
That wasn't a programmed laugh, nor was it a maniacal laugh. It was a truly human smile—one that was incredibly clear and belonged to "Zhang Jie," a smile that mixed weariness, relief, icy killing intent, and a hint of pleasure.
He spoke, his voice no longer carrying any electronic noise, but instead returning to that familiar, magnetic, husky, and powerful voice—calm, yet carrying a resolute force that resonated throughout the entire space of consciousness:
"Freddy..."
"I'm back."
"Now, it's time to settle our... old scores."