bioinnovel Chapter 68 Back Mountain
Chapter 68 Back Mountain
Lin Feng held his breath and quietly watched the team.
Instead of turning onto the side road, they walked straight towards the end of the main road.
According to the campus map he had written down, the end of that road led to the path behind the school.
"The back mountain..."
Lin Feng silently recited this in his mind, his brows unconsciously furrowing.
As far as he knew, there was nothing there except some long-abandoned facilities and a neglected forest.
What exactly is that bald man doing, leading this group of strange-looking students to the back mountain?
A strong urge to investigate rose from the bottom of his heart, making it impossible for him to easily ignore the anomaly before him.
He immediately focused his mind and gave the command to the dove hidden in the treetops above:
"Follow that group, see where they ended up and what they did. Then report back to me when you get back to the boys' dormitory."
"Coo coo—"
The dove gave a short and clear response.
Immediately, a soft flapping sound came from the treetops, and a small gray shadow silently slipped into the thick fog, hanging far behind the eerie group.
Seeing that the dove had followed, Lin Feng composed himself, stopped lingering, and quickened his pace toward the boys' dormitory.
........................
Pushing open the door to room 404, I saw Ichiro Sato and Wasim looking at a piece of open draft paper with furrowed brows.
Upon seeing Lin Feng return, the two of them almost simultaneously lit up.
"Lin-kun! You're finally back!" Sato Ichiro immediately put down his pen and said eagerly, "Wasim and I are completely stumped by this assignment, 'Introduction to Abnormal Cognition.' Could you give us some pointers?"
Seeing the two scratching their heads in frustration, Lin Feng shrugged:
"Don't rush, I haven't had time to think about it carefully yet. Let's discuss it together later."
As he spoke, he opened his notebook, preparing to draw a mind map to clarify his thoughts.
Suddenly, I heard a slight flapping of wings; the turtledove had returned.
Lin Feng immediately put down his pen and said to his two roommates, "I'm going to the balcony for some fresh air and to look for inspiration."
He picked up half a loaf of bread and a handful of corn kernels, got up and went to the balcony, and casually closed the glass door between the balcony and the dormitory.
The dim, yellowish light filtered through the mist and fell onto the balcony, carrying a damp chill.
The dove stood quietly on the railing, its small breasts rising and falling slightly.
Lin Feng crumbled the breadcrumbs and placed them along with the corn kernels on the edge of the railing, whispering:
"You've worked hard, let's talk while we eat. What's going on?"
The dove pecked at a few kernels of corn, then tilted its head back, and fragments of information flooded into Lin Feng's mind:
"I followed them... The group walked along the tree-lined path and then onto the road leading to the back of the mountain."
"They entered a dilapidated school building that looked like it had been abandoned for a long time, in a very remote place on the edge of the back mountain."
"An abandoned old school building?" Lin Feng's eyes narrowed. "What were they doing in there? What's inside?"
The dove tilted its little head and continued to convey the message:
"I don't know. That old school building looked really gloomy, the windows were all dark."
"I was just about to get a closer look when I sensed a very strong threat."
"Looking up, I saw a very large eagle circling above the old school building."
"I was afraid it would discover me, so I didn't dare stay any longer and quickly flew back."
eagle?
Lin Feng looked up at the gray sky shrouded in mist.
In this environment, is the appearance of an aggressive bird of prey a coincidence, or is it the "guardian" of the old school building?
He gently stroked the dove's feathers and pushed the rest of the food in front of it:
"You did the right thing. Safety first. Eat and rest for a bit."
The dove obediently lowered its head and continued pecking at the food.
Lin Feng returned to his dormitory from the balcony, his clothes still slightly damp and cool.
He sat down again at his desk, his gaze falling on the still blank draft paper, his fingertips unconsciously twirling the pen.
The information brought back by the dove was still swirling in his mind—the abandoned school building, the students with a sinister smile, the eagle that was watching—what secrets were hidden behind all of this?
My thoughts drifted back to the assignment Su Wan had given me, which required analyzing "abnormal phenomena that I had personally experienced or was certain of existing"...
A thought instinctively popped into my head: Could I write about all the strange things I encountered in this eerie school?
However, Lin Feng rejected the idea almost without thinking.
Doing this is tantamount to playing with fire; the risk is too great!
He must choose a real-world phenomenon that can be verified and analyzed.
The pen twirled nimbly between my fingers a few times, and a familiar word suddenly flashed into my mind.
"Ghost wall"—a phenomenon widely circulated in folk tales and characterized by spatial and cognitive abnormalities—is perfectly apt.
It points to the complete failure of human spatial perception in specific environments, perfectly fitting the theme of "cognitive distortion".
He nodded, no longer hesitating, and immediately put his pen on the paper, beginning to outline the core framework.
He wrote the core theme in the center of the paper: [The "ghost wall" phenomenon and the distortion of spatial cognition]
[First-level branch: Phenomenon description and cognitive shock]
Definition: An abnormal state in which an individual is trapped in a path loop, unable to escape, within a familiar or simple environment.
The impact on conventional thinking:
- The foundation of spatial perception collapses: basic navigational abilities such as vision, sense of direction, and sense of distance all fail.
- Logical causality fails: Actions that follow common-sense logic (such as going straight or turning) fail to lead to the expected results.
- The sense of security is completely shattered: the familiar environment suddenly becomes strange and full of malice, triggering deep fear.
[Secondary Branch: Analysis of Individual Defense Mechanisms]
Initial stage (denial and rationalization):
- "I just got lost", "The lighting was bad", "I was careless".
- Attempting to explain the anomaly using known, logical reasons.
Mid-term stage (anxiety and attempts to break through):
- Repeated attempts, marking, and calling for help gradually lead to disorganized behavior.
- The emotions shifted from confusion to anxiety and panic.
Later stage (cognitive acceptance and psychological adjustment):
- Forced to temporarily accept the reality of "not being able to get out" and stop the futile struggle.
- This may be accompanied by attempts at folk methods (such as urinating, swearing, or sitting in silence).
- Some individuals may develop a vague belief that they are being "tricked" or that there is "supernatural intervention".
[Third-level branch: Social/cultural coping and explanatory systems]
Scientific Explanation Path:
- It tends to be a combination of environmental factors (lack of reference points, similar terrain) and physiological and psychological factors (malfunction of the brain's balance organs, decreased judgment under stress).
Folkloric interpretation and mystification:
- It can be attributed to supernatural forces (ghosts, mountain spirits, formations).
- This has led to a series of "solutions" passed down orally, which have a ritualistic aspect.
Cultural Integration and Artistic Representation:
- It has become an important subject for supernatural novels and horror movies, further solidifying its "supernatural" label in the public's perception.
The basic framework has been completed.
Just as Lin Feng was about to start filling in the specific details of the argument, Wasim and Sato Ichiro came over and stared eagerly at his draft paper, which was already covered with clearly defined outlines.
"Lin-kun, you... you've already figured out everything in such a short time?!" Sato Ichiro looked at the well-structured sketch, his tone filled with undisguised surprise.
Wasim's eyes widened as he pointed to the frame on the paper:
"Brother Lin Feng, what's wrong with your brain? You must have been a top student in school!"
Lin Feng chuckled upon hearing this, and said half-jokingly:
"There's no way around it. Coming from Henan Province, where the college entrance exam is in 'hell mode,' there will inevitably be some aftereffects."