Jenna's mind instantly tensed up. She decided to placate Lumina and not give her the opportunity to go to Mushu Hospital, until Lumian returned around 7 or 8 pm the next evening.
She looked at Lumina and said sincerely, "The investigation into the hot pot restaurant shooting hasn't ended yet. If you go to Mushu Hospital, you might be taken to the police station. Even if the police can prove you're not related to Zaratulstra's death, it will take a considerable amount of time. You'll be detained for at least a few days, which could cause you to lose your job."
Hearing the phrase "lose your job", Lumina showed a not-so-obvious expression of fear.
"Yes, I should hide for a couple of days. After that, going to work disguised as a man shouldn't be a problem."
She had already been instilled with the setting of working as a security guard while disguised as a man.
Jenna didn't dare to relax. She glanced at the curtains blocking the bright moonlight and said to Lumina,
"We can't go to Mushu Hospital, but we can go to the rooftop to feel the breeze and relax a bit."
"Okay," Lumina said, an uncontrollable smile appearing on her clean and clear face.
Jenna first fixed the door lock, then took Lumina out of Room 2303 and to the rooftop via the elevator and stairs.
Throughout the process, she hid a mirror in each hand, using them to reflect light and create illusions to conceal herself and Lumina from the surveillance cameras.
Feeling the cool breeze that had lost its scorching heat in the night, Lumina half-closed her eyes and took two deep breaths.
She then walked to the parapet wall at the edge of the rooftop, pointed at the top, and asked for Jenna's opinion, "Can I sit up there?"
"Normal people can't since it's very dangerous. But you're fine, your sense of balance is very good, even better than acrobats," Jenna wasn't afraid of Lumina falling. She had enough ability to rescue her, so she wanted to see if the loophole hadn't been patched yet, and if by constantly suggesting to Lumina that she had abilities beyond ordinary people, whether Lumina would actually possess Beyonder powers.
Lumina put her hands on top of the parapet wall and lightly jumped up, preparing to sit down.
Suddenly, her hand slipped, and she lost her balance, about to fall towards the ground a hundred meters below.
At that moment, she felt several invisible ropes pulling at her, helping her stabilize.
"Phew, that scared me to death…" She turned her body sideways, looked at Jenna who was already sitting nearby, and patted her chest.
She thought Jenna had caught her.
Jenna, who had lightly wrapped Lumina with invisible spider silk for protection, realized she had overlooked something.
This person was still under the negative effects of misfortune brought by the Circle of Binding. Even if she had gained excellent balance based on Jenna's suggestions, she would fail due to extreme bad luck.
"Be careful," Jenna specially cautioned.
Lumina responded tersely and nodded lightly.
She looked at the lit internal roads of the residential area below for a few seconds, then raised her head, casting her gaze towards the bright moon in the sky.
The moonlight and the city's light pollution had hidden the stars from view.
Lumina supported herself with both hands on top of the parapet wall, quietly looking at the moon, completely absorbed.
After an unknown amount of time, she suddenly said, as if talking to herself, "A poem came to mind."
She didn't turn her head or look at Jenna, still gazing at the bright moon in the sky.
"What poem?" Jenna was enjoying the current peace and tranquility.
Lumina maintained her contemplative posture and said in a slightly ethereal voice, "Raising my head, I see the bright shining moon,
Bowing my head, I think of my hometown."
…
At the Police Department, in a certain meeting room, the lights were still bright late at night.
Lun Xiande stood in front of the whiteboard, pointing at two photos and said, "We can make a judgment that this case involves supernatural powers. The killer, or rather the criminal group, can use mirrors and the mirror world behind them."
One of the two photos was of the broken mirror in the changing room, and the other was of the shattered window in the private room where the victim was.
Officer Deng sat below, nodding lightly, indicating for Lun Xiande to continue.
"Therefore, those who were not in the hot pot restaurant's main hall and were not under surveillance during the corresponding time period are all suspects and need further investigation.
"They likely went to surveillance blind spots, used mirrors they carried with them to sneak back into the hot pot restaurant's main hall, waiting for the victim to return from the mirror world. If the victim returned, they would deliver a fatal blow. If not, it would mean their accomplices had already succeeded."
Deng raised his hand, pointing out a flaw in Lun Xiande's reasoning.
"It's also possible that they were always lurking behind a mirror or a glass window, not having appeared in the main hall of Shujin Hot Pot Restaurant before.
"Judging from how well this group utilizes the mirror world, they didn't need to send someone to the main hall of the hot pot restaurant in advance to wait by eating hot pot. They could have waited until the time was right, or received a signal, then entered the mirror world from afar, arriving at the predetermined assassination location. Look, the woman who walked out of the screen with Zaratulstra hadn't appeared in the main hall before either."
After speaking, Deng raised his palm and sniffed the tobacco pressed in his pipe.
"Yes," Lun Xiande admitted that the captain's point was valid. "But we still need to re-investigate those who left the main hall of the hot pot restaurant during that time period but weren't recorded by surveillance cameras in the corresponding state at the time of the incident."
"Remove the latter condition," Deng thought for two seconds and said, "People who can use the mirror world can also deceive surveillance cameras. You should know that surveillance cameras record based on optical principles, and those who master mirrors are good at affecting light and creating optical illusions."
After Lun Xiande nodded, Deng turned to Li En and said, "Tell us about the preliminary investigation results."
Li En stood up, taking Lun Xiande's place.
"So far, we've used dream interrogation on seventeen people without letting them notice anything unusual.
"Luo Shan: Very surprised about Zaratulstra's death, couldn't believe it.
"Zhou Mingrui: Very cautious about Zaratulstra, but also didn't anticipate Zaratulstra's death.
"Luo Fu: She left the main hall at the time and went to the ladies' room. There's no surveillance in the bathroom, but she was also very surprised about Zaratulstra's death, clearly shocked.
"We initially listed these three as key investigation targets because they're all employees of the Intis Group. They might have been instructed by some powerful figures within the Intis Group who don't want a merger and reorganization, to assassinate Zaratulstra at Shujin Hot Pot Restaurant and disrupt the ongoing business negotiations. But none of them knew that Huang Tao and Zaratulstra were also in Shujin Hot Pot Restaurant, and Luo Shan and Zhou Mingrui never left the main hall…
"The preliminary conclusion is that they don't have any issues."
Deng expressed agreement, and Lun Xiande didn't say anything.
After thoroughly discussing the case, Deng stood up and said to his subordinates,
"Currently, there are two key points. First, investigate the remaining suspects, including those mentioned by Lun Xiande and those with substantial motives. Second, find the woman who walked out of the screen with Zaratulstra. Although she didn't attack Zaratulstra at the time, the fact that she came out of the screen itself is worth noting."
"Yes, Captain," Lun Xiande, Li En, and other officers stood up and responded.
Deng smiled and said seriously, "This involves foreign guests and major business activities. You've all worked hard. I'm going to report to Chief Yagates now."
…
After looking at the moon and feeling the night breeze for half an hour, Jenna took Lumina back to Room 2303.
"Rest now, your body hasn't fully recovered yet," Jenna said, pointing to the bedroom.
Lumina, wearing her nightgown, opened the door and entered the bedroom. She found that the sick Franca had also woken up at some point due to her absence.
"Do you feel better now?" Franca had already learned from Jenna via WeChat about what the two had done.
Lumina looked at Franca and nodded with complex emotions. "Much better."
Her emotions were complex because she remembered that Luo Fu and she were also in a romantic relationship.
Yet this didn't affect her relationship with Jenna.
I thought I was just an ordinary yuri fan… How did the yuri circle become so messy? Am I really a player? Lumina sat on the edge of the bed and said to Franca,
"Let's sleep, I still have to work tomorrow."
Security guards worked in shifts.
Franca looked at Lumina and said with a smile, "Did you forget? You took two days off, Friday and Saturday. Your director, Grimm, approved it."
Lumina blinked. "Oh, right… I forgot. No wonder I don't have to work the middle shift today and can go directly to Shujin Hot Pot Restaurant in the evening…"
Looking at Lumina like this, Franca suddenly felt she was a bit adorably silly.
After the two in the bedroom went back to sleep, Jenna also lay down on the sofa, closed her eyes, and entered deep sleep.
After a while, her Astral Projection arrived in Luo Shan's Shaman world. She saw the girl still guarding by the translucent barrier, having repelled a new round of attacks from the monsters.
From the corner of her eye, Jenna saw Franca's Astral Projection wandering around in a daze like the other people around.
This indicated that Franca, due to her illness, had entered and then exited her consciousness.
Next, Jenna also found Lumina's Astral Projection, who also lacked clear consciousness.
"She really isn't a Beyonder…" Just as Jenna had this thought, she suddenly realized something.
Luo Shan must know!
It was hard to hide from her in the Shaman's "domain".
The next second, Jenna saw Luo Shan half turn her body and say to her, "So Zaratulstra was really killed by you guys."
Luo Shan had seen Lumina's Astral Projection, seen this beautiful woman who had walked out of the screen with Zaratulstra.
"Yes, we didn't tell you earlier because we were worried the police might have special methods to confirm whether you were lying," Jenna explained.
Luo Shan asked in confusion, "Wasn't Luo Fu afraid of being caught lying?"
"She was hypnotized in advance," Jenna didn't conceal.
Luo Shan fell silent. After several seconds, she asked in a low, extremely difficult tone, "Is this… is this really a dream?"
-x-X-x-
Hearing Luo Shan's question, Jenna was stunned.
Why would she suddenly ask such a question?
How did she suddenly think this was a dream?
How did she know? Who told her?
After coming to her senses, Jenna carefully asked in return, "What dream?"
Luo Shan looked at her for several seconds. "A Reporter has an ability to observe the truth, to see different scenes within a certain area, but it can't be maintained for too long. I've been using it often lately to check if anyone is hiding in my home or if there are any traps.
"When I came back in the evening, I used it once and saw you and Luo Fu talking. I heard Luo Fu asking about being kicked out of the dream."
So that's how it is… So that's what observing the truth means… Jenna's first reaction was "Don't panic, I'll make up a reason on the spot," but after seeing Luo Shan's eyes filled with deep sadness, confusion, and pain, she closed her mouth and remained silent.
Luo Shan took a moment before saying, "So, when Luo Fu suddenly became like a different person last time, it was because the consciousness from outside the dream was kicked out?
"So… this really is a dream?"
Jenna remained silent for several seconds, her tone becoming somber. "This is Zhou Mingrui's dream."
Luo Shan opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything. Her expression gradually became vacant.
Jenna continued, "Some people want Zhou Mingrui to continue sleeping until the apocalypse comes, while others want to wake him up so he can lead everyone to resist the apocalypse."
As she said these words, Jenna felt sympathy for Luo Shan while keeping her mind highly focused, waiting for the possible dream rejection that might come.
She had almost revealed the essence of the matter.
With Lumina already kicked out of the dream, Franca ill, and the police department highly focused on the horrible case of Zaratulstra's shooting, Jenna wasn't prepared to conduct further experiments.
Even if she wanted to experiment, the target would be Peng Deng or Zhou Mingrui. It was unlikely to reveal the truth to Luo Shan now. That would require a gradual, step-by-step approach.
No one would accept that they were fake, that their existence was meaningless. This would cause unpredictable shock to Luo Shan. Jenna could hardly imagine what kind of changes this would cause in Luo Shan.
Compared to this, being kicked out of the dream wasn't a particularly serious problem. After all, she could enter again.
Of course, it would be best not to be kicked out. Otherwise, the weak and sick Franca might not be able to control Lumina and prevent her from secretly going to Mushu Hospital.
Luo Shan's lips trembled for a while before she finally said, "So, I'm just an illusory figure in someone else's dream?"
Before Jenna could respond, Luo Shan raised her hand to touch her own face, then suddenly shook her head. "I don't believe it… I don't believe it… I don't believe it! This isn't a dream, and I'm not fake!"
At this moment, Jenna wanted to persuade her to shift her attention, to find new meaning, but the words caught in her throat and she couldn't form a sentence.
Luo Shan cried out for a while before finally calming down.
She looked at Jenna again and said, "Every time, every time I observe the truth, I see grayish-white fog. It's in every scene. Wh-what is it?"
Jenna pondered for a moment and then said, "It might be, it might be the boundaries of the dream."
Luo Shan fell silent again, staring intently at Jenna's eyes as if grasping at the last straw.
She slowly lowered her head, turning her body while mumbling, "No, it's not like this… I don't believe it…
"I don't believe it…"
She completely turned her back on Jenna, facing the translucent barrier and the monsters hiding in the deep darkness beyond it alone.
…
Trier, beside the Srenzo River, in a café with outdoor seating.
Lumian wore sunglasses and had long hair draped over his shoulders. Basking in the bright sunlight, he held a cup of Intis coffee, his mind wandering as he gazed at the wide river, the classical buildings on the opposite shore, the steam-belching iron ships, the bustling and lively river island, and the occasional airship passing by, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
He temporarily had nothing that needed to be done.
He had originally planned to take advantage of his return to the real world to visit Bansy Island, seeking special scenes that could maximize the effectiveness of the corpse wax candle. But after careful consideration, he abandoned this plan.
There were uncertain risks in Bansy Harbor. If it led to him being trapped there, unable to enter Mr. Fool's true dream, or directly resulting in his death, it would significantly affect the subsequent progress of the awakening plan.
Lumian was clear about which of these two matters was more important.
He had also considered whether to go to the New City of Silver, enter the underground, and borrow the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact—Gift of the Land—to bring it into the dream city, enhancing the team's power. After all, for him, he could return to Mr. Fool's dream using the lucky coin regardless of where he fell asleep, and the New City of Silver was also a safe place.
In the end, Lumian erred on the side of caution and didn't make this risky attempt.
He carried Omebella's bloodline, and in the dream city, those blessed by the Great Mother like Grimm viewed him as the Great Mother's Child of God. The underground of Mushu Hospital still concealed the Great Mother's influence and erosion of the dream city. If he added the Gift of the Land transformed from the real Omebella's remains on top of that, Lumian dared not imagine what problems might arise.
He worried that as soon as he brought the Gift of the Land into the dream city, he might find his dream manifestation appearing in basement one of Mushu Hospital, with the Gift of the Land fusing with his body, allowing Omebella to be fully reborn.
And such an Omebella might be able to withstand the divine descent of the Great Mother.
Unable to do this or that, Lumian could only give himself a day off. As for making new Ice Mirror Charms, he had to wait a bit longer, because his misfortune had not completely dissipated.
Yes, although he had used Circle Inhabitant within the dream city, after returning to reality, he still bore the negative effect of misfortune.
Correspondingly, he could only use the Circle of Binding effect of his Circle Inhabitant seven more times, and using Circle Inhabitant twice had stacked his misfortune to six hours, which didn't take effect immediately.
The types of Circle Inhabitant he used on Zaratulstra's mirror projection and Historical Void image were not the same. One was to recreate the scene, the other was to fix the position.
Is the essence of negative effects reflecting in reality that using Beyonder items in dreams causes Beyonder items in reality to be activated as well, thus producing corresponding negative effects? Lumian took a sip of coffee, allowing his body and mind to relax.
He silently sighed. A rare moment of leisure in this fleeting life…
After a while, Lumian gazed at the gently rippling, relatively clean water surface, breathing in the cool breeze from the river, and spontaneously thought, Is the other 'me' also daydreaming like this now?
He had considered the problem of identity conflict corresponding to his female form being kicked out of the dream, but he hadn't reminded Jenna and Franca about it, only telling them to be careful of the influence brought by Omebella's bloodline.
He felt that this situation might gradually awaken some of Aurore's qualities in his dream self.
…
At 8 am, Dechuang Garden.
Franca had just groggily woken up when she saw Lumina standing by the bay window, looking at the already brilliant sunlight outside, lost in thought.
After a night's rest, Franca's condition had improved considerably. She was no longer weak all over, and walking was no longer a problem.
"What… are you looking at?" she tentatively asked Lumina.
Lumina didn't turn around, her tone slightly distant as she said, "I really want to go for a walk. It's not too hot at this time."
"Let's wait for things to blow over," Franca suggested. "How about we play computer games?"
"What games?" Lumina turned around.
"…" Franca suddenly fell silent.
Without a computer, what computer games could they play?
They didn't even have a gaming console!
They had to save every penny for when they needed to rent useful items from the Star Dream Provisions Store or complete crucial tasks. In daily life, non-essential expenses were always cut wherever possible.
"Mobile games then…" As she spoke, Franca stopped again.
What games wouldn't lag on their cheap phones?
"Let's play Fighting the Landlord!" That was all she could say.
At this moment, Jenna walked in, supporting Franca to the bathroom to wash up.
After closing the bathroom door, Jenna kept an ear out for any movement outside, worried that Lumina might suddenly run out, while lowering her voice to tell Franca about Luo Shan's situation.
Franca sat on the toilet, her mouth half-open, completely stunned.
After hearing Jenna's full explanation, she sighed deeply.
"We still don't understand enough about the abilities of the Reporter Sequence…"
She could understand how Luo Shan felt now. If someone with authority told her that her life since transmigrating was fake, that her past was also fake, that she was just an illusory character existing in a dream, she would certainly suffer a huge blow. Not having a breakdown on the spot was already quite good.
Even though they had thought about using Luo Shan to awaken Mr. Fool, Franca had previously hoped to persuade her with fabricated stories, not to tell her the truth.
Some truths were best never known.
They represented despair.
Franca pondered for a moment, then said desperately, "Can we find an excuse to cover it up? Not saying we lied to her, but designing some events to let everyone 'discover' together that the dream theory is just another layer of disguise, not the final truth. I think Luo Shan could accept such a development. People can deceive themselves about certain things. Hasn't she been saying she doesn't believe this is a dream?
"Moreover, we can't provide strong enough evidence to prove this is a dream!"
Jenna fell silent for a moment before saying, "We can only handle it this way for now. During this period, we need to find a way for Anthony to placate Luo Shan, or have him provide treatment directly."
Franca nodded lightly, suddenly showing a thoughtful expression.
She looked at Jenna and said slowly, "Based on our previous speculation, Luo Shan is a dream character shaped by Mr. Fool's divided subconscious, combined with corresponding images from memory. In a broad sense, she is equivalent to a part of Mr. Fool.
"After hearing the truth about the dream, the dream city didn't show any unusual changes, and you weren't kicked out of the dream…"
-x-X-x-
"Yes." Jenna also expressed confusion, "I thought I would be kicked out of the dream immediately, but nothing happened."
Franca thought for a moment and spoke, "Is it that telling the truth about this world to dream figures other than Zhou Mingrui and a few others doesn't trigger an abnormal reaction? Or is Luo Shan special, a character lightly corrupted by that evil god of the Fantasy Association, no longer closely connected to the dream's main consciousness?"
Jenna shook her head and answered honestly, "I don't know."
She paused, her eyes turning slightly as she said, "If we can pacify Luo Shan this time, we can find an opportunity later to mention Mr. Fool to her, and see if there's any special reaction, or if it causes me to be kicked out of the dream."
"We can also try telling corresponding things to other dream figures and see what results." Franca made an affirmative sound, reaching out both hands to support Jenna as she stood up from the toilet.
After finishing her washing up, she returned to the living room to see Lumina watching TV.
An idea struck her, and she said to Jenna, "Should we invite Luo Shan over to play cards? Four people can play Shengji."
"I'll ask and see if she's willing." Jenna understood that Franca wanted to find something for Luo Shan to do, some entertainment to ease her emotional state, and they could also use the card-playing opportunity to provide subtle psychological guidance.
Jenna immediately picked up her phone and sent Luo Shan a message.
After about seven or eight minutes, Luo Shan replied: "Okay, after I eat breakfast. I just woke up."
"She's willing to come," Jenna told Franca and Lumina.
Lumina knew Luo Shan, aware that she was her colleague, and quickly stood up saying, "Should I change back into men's clothes?"
"No need, no need. Just pretend you don't know her, act like you're another friend of ours," Franca hurriedly shook her head.
If she really changed into men's clothes, wouldn't that make Luo Shan think of Li Ming?
After all, you two do look a bit alike!
Of course, as long as Lumina didn't wear men's clothes or pretend to be a man, no one would associate her with security guard Li Ming. Not to mention the fact that one was male and one was female, even in terms of appearance, at first glance, the difference was quite large, because when Lumian played the role of Li Ming, he used the Lie earring to lower his attractiveness and modify details.
Seeing this, Jenna, on behalf of the still somewhat muddled Franca, went through in her mind the potential problems that might arise when Lumina and Luo Shan meet. She then chatted with Anthony via WeChat about Luo Shan knowing the truth of the world, and consulted on the direction and strategies for psychological guidance.
Soon after, Luo Shan arrived on the 23rd floor and rang the doorbell.
At the same time, Jenna received a reply message from An Ruide: "Talk to her about her past."
Using a certain, experienced, and personally realistic past to reduce the current sense of disillusionment? Jenna roughly understood Anthony's intention.
She immediately followed Franca's instructions and found two decks of playing cards.
The four of them gathered around the coffee table and started playing Shengji, with Lumina and Jenna as partners, and Franca and Luo Shan on the same team.
They weren't gambling for money—Jenna, Franca, and Lumina had no spare cash to gamble. Instead, they bet that whichever pair of partners first upgraded to A could stick five small paper notes on the losers' faces or draw funny patterns with washable paint.
After successfully upgrading to "3", Jenna looked at Luo Shan and casually started chatting, "You mentioned before that your father was a police officer?"
"Yes," Luo Shan's mood had been low all along. As she pushed her cards towards the center of the coffee table, she said, "He was… severely injured while pursuing a cult leader with lots of blood on his heads, and died in the hospital."
"Was he honored as a martyr?" Franca asked.
"Yes." Luo Shan suddenly gave a self-deprecating smile, "When I graduated from university, I actually had the opportunity to work as a civilian employee at the police department, but I also received an offer from the administrative department of the Intis Group. I hesitated for a long time, feeling that I was just an ordinary person who didn't like exercise, so I wasn't suitable to be a police officer. Hence, I finally chose the Intis Group."
Perhaps that's not the only reason? Franca didn't pursue the question.
She simply felt that ordinary people without much ambition couldn't refuse a position in a public department, and it was just a civilian role, not requiring the arrest of criminals.
While waiting for the cards to be dealt, Luo Shan made a sound of agreement.
"This was actually my mother's wish too. Seeing police officers would remind her of my father's death."
"Your mother is in your hometown, not living with you?" Jenna asked, already knowing the answer.
Luo Shan looked at the cards in front of her, her voice gradually becoming distant.
"When I was in university, she fell ill and was hospitalized… It was on and off, she struggled for two years but still didn't make it…"
Before Franca and Jenna could comfort Luo Shan, Lumina suddenly spoke, "My mother was also seriously ill once, frequently going to the hospital. I was still young then, standing at the hospital entrance, watching her being pushed in, my father bent over, accompanying her by her side… I don't remember who was watching me then, I only remember that I was very quiet, didn't cry or make a fuss…
"I was luckier than you, my mother was cured later."
At this point, Lumina's eyes suddenly became misty, her voice suddenly deepening, "I miss her so much…"
Franca and Jenna suddenly exchanged a glance, both looking a bit surprised.
This wasn't part of Li Ming's background information, nor was it content they had instilled.
Could it be… Franca quickly had a guess.
"I miss my mother too," Luo Shan responded to Lumina.
She seemed to recall her past life, remembering the days when she and her mother depended on each other. Although her emotions were sad, that lifeless feeling had faded considerably.
In the time that followed, Luo Shan's state improved somewhat—while playing cards, Jenna and Franca chatted with her about university life and career experiences, and Luo Shan recounted those events that were deeply etched in her memory.
Franca and Jenna could clearly hear that towards the end, Luo Shan's whole person became excited, as if trying to prove something.
"Let's end this; it's almost noon, I'll go make lunch for you all," Jenna stood up, smiling as she spoke.
Today's losers were Franca and Luo Shan, their faces covered with paper notes written with various funny phrases, and they suffered the indignity of having photos taken as a memento.
"I object! You're trying to kill me by taking advantage of my illness." Franca was, after all, still in a state of illness, her mind not so sharp, and she had done a good job of dragging Luo Shan down in the card game. She grumbled, "I'm bullied when I'm sick and weak!"
Jenna was amused by her.
"Wait until you're better and try again, you used to often lose to me before."
This referred to her Showy Diva days, often being dragged to play cards by the market district's boss "Red Boots" Franca.
Wasn't I just letting you win? Otherwise, how hard would it be for the mighty Witch to use a bit of mystical power to cheat and win easily? Franca grumbled inwardly.
At this moment, Lumina also stood up and said to Jenna, "I'll help you cut the vegetables."
"I'll help too." Luo Shan raised her hand. "The patient is responsible for resting!"
She took the opportunity to peel off the paper notes on her face and walked briskly into the kitchen.
Watching the three of them busy in the kitchen, with occasional laughter and cheerful voices, Franca leaned back against the sofa, peeling off the paper notes on her face, and spontaneously thought, If only this wasn't a dream…
After happily enjoying lunch, washing the dishes, and scrubbing the pots, Luo Shan said goodbye.
She had plans with a university friend in the afternoon.
Jenna and Franca, who was still a bit unsteady on her feet, saw her to the door.
Luo Shan turned sideways, her mouth open as if wanting to say something, but in the end, she just turned her gaze away and waved. "Bye bye."
She quickened her pace and walked straight towards the elevator.
Franca and Jenna watched her enter the elevator before turning back inside, each picking up their own phone.
Seeing their behavior, Lumina finally remembered that she had lost an important item.
"Where's my phone?"
It seemed to have disappeared last night…
"I have it," Franca took out Lumian's phone from her Traveler's Bag.
Before this operation, they had made contingency plans for different developments. Except for Franca, everyone was prepared to be kicked out of the dream, so they simply didn't bring their phones, or gave them to Franca for safekeeping, or left them at home. This way, when kicked out of the dream, they basically wouldn't be found by the Celestial Worthy through their phone contacts, and they wouldn't need to delete their contact list again—it would be too troublesome to add them back later.
Lumina took the phone and unlocked the screen with her fingerprint.
"'Intis Group Grimm' sent me a message… Why is the director sending me a message?" Lumina looked confused.
Franca leaned over and saw that Grimm had sent a 👍 emoji: "As expected of you!"
Obviously, Grimm had recognized that the woman who walked out of the screen with Zaratulstra was Lumina, and believed that Zaratulstra's death was done by the Child of God.
Jenna's thoughts raced, searching for an explanation for the relationship between Grimm and Lumina that didn't involve the supernatural.
She carefully fabricated, "Grimm has seen you in women's clothes and has become deeply infatuated with you. He's a masochist who sees you as his master. The more arrogant and cold you are to him, the more satisfied he is. Anyway, just ignore him and let him indulge in his own fantasies."
"Eww… pervert," Lumina looked disgusted.
Then she asked, "What does he mean by 'as expected of me'?"
"Maybe he saw a video or photo of you appearing with Zaratulstra and thinks you killed Zaratulstra," Jenna felt a fatigue from her brain working overtime. "Don't worry, he won't betray you. Instead, he'll keep this secret even more tightly and feel self-satisfied about it."
"…" Franca was left speechless listening to this, feeling that Jenna had been somewhat corrupted by the Internet lately.
"I see." Lumina breathed a sigh of relief.
The three of them each occupied a position, quietly being on their phones while digesting the food they had eaten at lunch.
Suddenly, Franca came across a local news item: "Crimson Moon Hospital's affiliated restaurant launched several mushroom set meals yesterday, which were well-received."
Devil's set meal—no, mushroom set meal? Franca's eyelid twitched, having heard about Li Keji from Lumian and seen the latest episode of "The Great Adventurer".
She remembered that not long ago, Lumian had gone to instigate Li Keji to create a new type of mushroom that could cure the vegetative patient An Xiaotian.
-x-X-x-
What has Li Keji done again? Franca took a light breath.
She reflexively wanted to check and confirm, hoping to prevent more dangerous things from happening in time, but as soon as she moved her body, she remembered she was still sick and didn't have the ability.
Jenna can't go either; she still has to watch Lumina and not let her run around… Anthony has another task… We certainly can't let Lumina go, the outcome would either be Lumina covered in mushrooms all over her body, or Li Keji getting pregnant… After thinking it through, Franca decided to wait a bit, wait until Lumian returned to the dream city, and go himself.
Li Keji is an ally, no need to worry too much… Li Keji is an ally, no need to worry too much… Franca kept repeating these words to herself.
She planned to forward this news to Lumian, so he would know what happened as soon as he returned to the dream city.
Just as Franca was about to select the option, she suddenly froze.
Shit, I almost slipped up…
Isn't the current Lumian actually Lumina?
Being sick really messes with your head…
Good thing I realized in time…
…
Inside the Tianyue Hotel, in the room next to Zaratulstra's.
The two bodyguards who had originally been following Zaratulstra appeared here, with an elderly man with white hair but a youthful face standing in front of them.
This elderly man wore white training clothes and had his hands behind his back. He paced back and forth near the wall and said, "Still no clues about the killer?"
"No, we can only be certain that a Demoness was definitely involved," one of the bodyguards answered.
The elderly man in white training clothes pondered for a moment and said, "Zhou Mingrui couldn't have appeared at the Shujin Hot Pot Restaurant for no reason; such a coincidence is unlikely.
"Investigate who invited him there, or rather, who induced him to invite people to eat there.
"Luo Shan and Luo Fu, who ate hot pot with him, are key subjects for investigation."
"Yes, Mr. Cui," the two bodyguards responded in unison.
The elderly man referred to as "Mr. Cui" considered for a few seconds and then said, "Be careful when investigating Luo Shan. Previous feedback indicates that Luo Shan belongs to an otherworldly evil god and is a potential collaborator with considerable strength."
The two bodyguards acknowledged and left the room.
After pacing for quite a while, Mr. Cui brought his own bodyguard and silently opened the door to leave.
He deliberately didn't tell the two previous bodyguards that he would also investigate Luo Shan, that he would secretly follow them. If they stepped into a trap or encountered an accident, he would be able to glimpse the truth, catching any adversaries by surprise.
Out of the room, Mr. Cui walked unhurriedly along the thickly carpeted corridor towards the elevator area.
In one of the ventilation openings on the ceiling of the corridor, a pair of eyes was quietly observing him.
Those eyes were deep brown, completely blending into the darkness.
They belonged to Zhou Mingrui.
Zhou Mingrui had somehow sneaked into the ceiling of the corridor at an unknown time, observing every move of Zaratulstra's bodyguards and followers, and observing Mr. Cui's situation.
This was because, when he got up this morning and opened the door to get some good breakfast, he found a letter stuffed in the door crack, with a printed paper pasted on the envelope surface that read "For Zhou Mingrui".
At that time, Zhou Mingrui perplexedly opened this letter and found a photo inside, a secretly taken photo of "Mr. Cui".
On the back of the photo was also paper and text: "This is Zaratulstra's assistant. He will inherit Zaratulstra's will and do some things targeting you."
After reading the content on the back of the photo, Zhou Mingrui's spirit immediately tensed.
He believed this was a reminder from the group that shot Zaratulstra last night. He even suspected that Luo Shan inviting him to eat at the Shujin Hot Pot Restaurant was to let him witness Zaratulstra's death.
What exactly does Zaratulstra's group want to do to me? And what does the group that killed him want to do? Zhou Mingrui couldn't figure out the answer and finally decided to come and secretly observe the target person to see if he could discover any clues.
He thus confirmed that Mr. Cui, who lived next door to Zaratulstra and had no apparent connection to Zaratulstra's negotiation team on the surface, was indeed part of Zaratulstra's group.
He is indeed suspicious, Zhou Mingrui nodded slightly in the darkness within the ceiling.
At the same time, he also noticed some other oddities.
He originally thought he would be inexperienced and clumsy at crawling through ventilation ducts, climbing ceilings, and secretly monitoring, making many mistakes, but in actual operation, he had a strange sense of familiarity and very smoothly accomplished his intended purpose.
This relied on more than just the power of an Assassin.
Yesterday too, when I saw Zaratulstra being shot, I wasn't nervous at all, nor panicked, very calm… Is this the psychological quality of a qualified Assassin, or is there another reason? Zhou Mingrui fell into deep thought.
He vaguely suspected that it wasn't just this world that he didn't understand enough, but also himself.
Mr. Cui, accompanied by his bodyguard, took the elevator to the first floor.
Just as he had taken a few steps towards the revolving door, he suddenly raised both hands to cover his neck.
He felt the rapid arrival of marionettization, and also felt the rejection of the dream.
His breathing became difficult, as if his whole being had been thrown into a void without any objects.
How could this be? Mr. Cui's pupils dilated, not daring to force himself to stay, and voluntarily exited the dream.
Thud!
His bodyguard suddenly collapsed and died on the spot.
A small insect flying nearby also fell to the ground with a splat, motionless.
In the temporary parking lot at the entrance of the Tianyue Hotel, Anthony, sitting in the driver's seat with Ludwig, calmly watched this scene.
The other Seer pathway demigod mentioned by the magic mirror Arrodes had also been kicked out of the dream!
And once the other party lost control of their marionette, the latter was essentially dead.
Lumian and the others, with information provided by the magic mirror Arrodes, hadn't ignored the Seer pathway demigod living next door to Zaratulstra who had helped Zaratulstra discover intruders before. But they all understood that before dealing with Zaratulstra, it wasn't appropriate to act against Mr. Cui, as that would alert them. So, they only secretly photographed Mr. Cui, and after the hot pot restaurant operation was over, Anthony, the only one who could still do things normally, stuffed the pre-prepared envelope into the door crack of Zhou Mingrui's home early the next morning.
With Lumian kicked out of the dream, Franca seriously ill, and Jenna needing to look after two people, Anthony obviously couldn't deal with Mr. Cui on his own, so he could only "get" Zhou Mingrui's help.
Anthony watched the hotel staff hurriedly coming to check on the collapsed bodyguard and the bewildered Mr. Cui, not getting out of the car, taking the opportunity to eliminate the latter's dream manifestation.
It wasn't that he didn't want to, but after his observation, he found that there were police personnel discreetly deployed near Mr. Cui. If he were to act, even with Psychological Invisibility, he wouldn't be able to escape.
That would mean he was confronting the main consciousness of the dream, and the consequences could be more severe than being kicked out of the dream!
Anthony waited patiently, never finding an opportunity, so he decided to act after Lumian returned to the dream city.
When it came to covert killing, Lumian was more skilled than him, Jenna, and Franca!
Anthony chose to go back to rest last night and stuff another letter the next day, rather than going directly, in order to create a time difference.
Under the premise that the corresponding dream manifestation hasn't been killed, the time interval for those kicked out of the dream to return was about the same. If Anthony had reminded Zhou Mingrui last night, then Mr. Cui's return to the dream city and regaining control of his dream manifestation wouldn't be much later than Lumian's, at most a few hours later, and in those few hours, Lumian might not find an opportunity to make his dream manifestation die unknowingly.
Now, after Lumian returned around seven or eight in the evening, he would have nearly a day to plot the murder of Mr. Cui's dream manifestation.
…
In Room 2303 of Dechuang Garden.
Just past 7 pm in the evening, Franca and Jenna, who had been watching Lumina constantly, saw this beautiful woman suddenly change her appearance, becoming male.
Lumian immediately took the Lie earring, changing his facial features in a direction not too similar to Li Ming.
Franca took the opportunity to tell him about the mushroom set meals at Crimson Moon Hospital.
Lumian nodded. "I'll go deal with the other matter first."
As he said this, he stood up.
Franca held back her laughter and pointed at him. "Change your clothes first, don't walk away wearing Jenna's nightgown."
Lumian looked down and discovered that Lumina had been wearing Jenna's nightgown all along.
At 10 pm, in a white car parked by the roadside, Lumian was on his phone as if bored, seemingly waiting for someone.
They had rented a new car, because the previous car was registered under the name "Luo Fu", and if a car rented by Luo Fu happened to appear near the scene of Mr. Cui's death, the suspicion on Franca would be strong enough for an immediate arrest.
Lumian waited for a while, and through the rearview mirror, he saw Mr. Cui walking alone, preparing to cross the intersection to return to the Tianyue Hotel.
As Mr. Cui passed by his vehicle, Lumian's eyes suddenly took on a silver-white color with black.
Eye of Calamity!
Before Mr. Cui had passed the rearview mirror, he had already found the fate branch leading to the other's doom.
In the next second, Lumian hid his left hand wearing the Circle of Binding and slightly raised his right palm.
He touched Mr. Cui's main fate trunk from afar and violently pushed it towards the branch that appeared black.
His spirituality poured out frantically, his expression unchanged, his movements as usual.
Mr. Cui's dream manifestation was completely unaware of this, and the police monitoring him from hidden spots didn't notice anything unusual.
Mr. Cui continued walking for about fifteen to twenty meters, stepping onto the pedestrian crossing.
By now it was truly night, and there weren't many people on this road, nor many cars.
Suddenly, a car driving from afar seemed to lose control due to excessive speed, directly running the red light.
Mr. Cui saw this scene, his pupils suddenly dilating.
Bang!
He was hit and sent flying, his head heavily hitting the ground.
Then, he was run over by the out-of-control car, dying as thoroughly as possible.
-x-X-x-
As soon as Lumian heard the sound of the out-of-control vehicle crashing into the curb, he immediately rolled down the window and poked his head out.
He looked towards the intersection about 15-20 meters away, and at Mr. Cui who had been hit and thrown even further, tragically run over.
Almost simultaneously, he saw several figures emerge from different hiding spots, rushing towards the deceased and the vehicle responsible for the accident.
Lumian promptly took out his phone, snapped a couple of photos, and muttered, "Holy shit, there's been a car accident!
"That driver was speeding like he was in a race, was he drunk?"
He acted like a bystander ready to post on social media and short video accounts.
At this moment, the dented vehicle responsible for the accident completely stalled, unable to start. The car door opened, and a man who could barely stand straight stumbled out.
"Damn, he really is drunk. If you drink, don't drive!" Lumian started recording a video, cursing as he filmed.
Only after the ambulance took away Mr. Cui's body, and the police led away the driver responsible for the accident after cordoning off the area, leaving just the traffic police investigating the scene and the tow truck on standby, did Lumian sit back in his car, as if contemplating how to share what had just happened in various group chats.
Not long after, Anthony, also in disguise, came out of the 24-hour convenience store on the side carrying a large bag of items, opened the car door and got in.
Lumian started the car and drove away from the scene.
They hadn't brought Ludwig with them, having sent the little boy to Jenna's place—if a seven or eight-year-old boy appeared at both the scene where Zaratulstra was shot and where Mr. Cui had the car accident, it would be very suspicious, even if the boy looked different at first glance.
…
In Room 2303 of Dechuang Garden.
Lumian sat in the single armchair and said to Franca and Jenna, "I'll go to Li Keji after midnight."
Pausing momentarily, he added, "Did Lumina show any unusual behavior today?"
Jenna was silent for a couple of seconds, then recounted everything about Lumina's blank stares, her inner impulses, the bad luck surrounding her, getting some fresh air on the rooftop, her words during the card game, and many other detailed behaviors, without hiding anything.
Lumian listened attentively without interrupting, his expression gradually softening.
After Jenna finished speaking, Franca opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and said, "If you get kicked out of the dream again, you'll face severe restrictions upon entering for the third time, just like Queen Mystic."
Lumian remained silent for a long while before saying, "I understand."
…
At the edge of a lake, inside a four-story villa.
Bernie Huang returned from outside and walked into the grand, opulent hall.
Every time her classmates came to visit, they would say, "Why is your house decorated like a palace? Don't you find it strange?"
Bernie could only spread her hands helplessly and say, "This is just my dad's preference."
"Where are my dad and the others?" Bernie asked the butler standing in the hall.
She usually lived at school, only choosing to come home on weekends if there wasn't a long holiday.
The butler respectfully answered, "Young Master Huang Xia is exercising in the underground basketball court, Young Master Huang Bo is assembling mini 4WD cars in the toy room, Madam has gone out to attend an art salon, and the Master is in the wine tasting room."
Bernie nodded, walked to the side of the hall, and took the elevator down to the basement.
There was a large wine cellar here, with a secure storage room, and a wine tasting room where you could see the rippling water of the indoor swimming pool.
Huang Tao was sitting on the sofa, holding a glass of pure malt liquor with ice cubes, leisurely savoring it.
"You're back?" He smiled when he saw Bernie come in.
"Why are you drinking again?" Bernie sat down opposite him.
Huang Tao smiled and said, "As I get older, I don't have many hobbies left."
Bernie didn't try to persuade him further, quietly watching as her father took another sip of the temptingly colored liquor and grabbed a few shelled pine nuts from the dish of dried fruits on the table, popping them into his mouth.
After finishing what was in his mouth, Huang Tao asked, "What about your classmate? Didn't she come to visit?"
"Something happened to her biology teacher at the cram school, she's busy dealing with that and doesn't have time," Bernie said simply.
Huang Tao laughed. "You mentioned that before. Really, if he wants to do experiments, he should apply for a job at a proper lab. Why be a biology teacher?"
At this point, Huang Tao looked at Bernie and sighed. "Why don't you like staying at home? There's still some time before school starts, but you've already moved into the dorm."
This isn't my problem… Maybe in Mr. Fool's perception, I'm separate from you all, we rarely get together… Bernie dutifully explained, "I'm involved in a research project."
Huang Tao didn't pursue the matter further, he was just complaining a bit. He changed the subject. "How's that children's book company of yours doing?"
"It's going well," Bernie recalled. "The children's book market is the most profitable area in the physical book market. There's a real demand for repackaging and redesigning classic fairy tales, and we're also nurturing our own children's book authors and illustrators."
"In this area, China started too late and it's still not very mature. There's still a lack of good works. You have a lot of potential," Huang Tao praised his daughter. "At the same time, you need to pay attention to importing copyrights. You can't ignore those excellent foreign children's books and leave them to your competitors."
He seriously instructed his daughter, looking as if he wanted to make Dawn Children's Publishing Company bigger and stronger.
Bernie listened attentively, occasionally offering her own ideas. The father and daughter discussed very harmoniously.
At the end of the discussion, Huang Tao suddenly swirled his drink and said with a sigh, "Do you know what the greatest pain in life is?"
Bernie shook her head.
Huang Tao smiled self-deprecatingly.
"It's watching the people and things you cherish most, the life you yearn for most, being occupied by others, while you can only be locked in a dark and depressing prison."
Bernie looked at Huang Tao without responding.
Huang Tao didn't mind, he just continued to drink his liquor with dried fruits, pouring for himself for a while.
He gradually composed his expression and looked at Bernie. "If you discovered that you were just an illusory character in a dream, and at this time, someone was trying to awaken the master of the dream, what would you do?"
Bernie was silent for a few seconds before saying, "It would depend on the specific situation."
Huang Tao smiled and said, "Then let's be more specific. You clearly know that if the master of the dream is awakened, you will completely disappear. Even if there's another dream, the corresponding person who appears will no longer be the current you. But the person you care about most supports awakening the master of the dream, is willing to take risks for it, even sacrifice themselves. What would you do?"
She looked at Huang Tao, remaining silent throughout.
Huang Tao calmly returned his daughter's gaze.
After a while, he finished the remaining alcohol and stood up, saying, "I'm going upstairs to deal with some matters."
Huang Tao walked out from between the sofa and tea table, passing by Bernie, heading towards the wine tasting room door.
"Dad."
Suddenly, Bernie called out to him.
Huang Tao turned around, a smile already appearing on his face.
"Is there anything else?" he asked.
Bernie also stood up, saying thoughtfully, "I've always been curious, if we don't talk about science, what's inside a mirror, and what's hidden in the depths of a mirror."
Huang Tao looked at Bernie for a few seconds and said, "It hides a great horror beyond your imagination."
After saying this, Huang Tao turned back, opened the wooden door, and walked out of the wine tasting room.
"Great horror…" Bernie stood still, ruminating over these words.
…
Late at night.
Lumian used Teleportation to arrive near Crimson Moon Hospital.
He didn't rush to enter, instead transforming into Lumina's appearance, disguising himself, and walking around Crimson Moon Hospital.
He saw that in the green belts around Crimson Moon Hospital, in the crevices of the walls of various buildings, mushrooms had sprung up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, all kinds of mushrooms.
These mushrooms hadn't invaded the living space of other organisms, nor did they threaten the structural safety of the buildings. They were just growing quietly and peacefully.
With so many mushrooms, no wonder Crimson Moon Hospital launched a mushroom set meal… They all look edible… Who wouldn't want to use free ingredients? After roughly confirming the situation in the outer area of Crimson Moon Hospital, Lumian hid in a concealed spot, entered a mirror, and made his way to the psychiatric ward.
He wasn't worried about being blocked or trapped by the dream city police in this mirror world, because Lumina didn't have a real identity and had no apparent connection to Li Keji on the surface. Unless high-ranking police officials like Yagates had received a revelation through prophecy or divination that staking out here would provide clues, it was unlikely they would send people here.
And with everyone being suppressed at Sequence 7, Lumian, as a Demoness of Despair, wasn't too afraid of divinations and prophecies pointing to his whereabouts.
After observing the entire ward for a while, Lumian jumped out of the mirror-like object, landing lightly.
He always held a hand mirror, using it to reflect light and create illusions to deceive the surveillance cameras.
Lumian then surveyed the dimly lit corridor lights and the iron doors sleeping in the dark environment. His spirituality didn't give any warnings.
Next, he took a breath, not smelling any blood or other strange odors.
Only then did he gently knock on the metal door of Li Keji's ward.
Knock. Knock. Knock. The knocking wasn't loud, quietly echoing in this area without reaching the nurses' station.
Li Keji's voice suddenly sounded, kept very low.
"Who?"
This time, no white and tender mushrooms came to the window to peek, nor did a large amount of white mycelium emerge from the door crack.
"It's me," the black-haired Lumian answered softly, "The person who asked for your help in treating a vegetative friend before."
"Oh, it's you…" Li Keji still didn't appear behind the iron-barred window of the door, seemingly shrinking in a corner of the bed.
"Has your research made any progress?" Lumian asked.
"I have some ideas, a bunch of failures, and a half-finished product. It still needs verification, I'm not sure what the final effect will be…" As he spoke, Li Keji's voice revealed a hint of confusion, "But some strange things have happened, I might not have time to advance the experiment you want recently."
"What things?" Lumian's spirit suddenly tensed.
What could make Li Keji put aside his mushroom experiments?
After a few seconds, Li Keji answered in a confused, self-musing tone, "I'm pregnant."
-x-X-x-
Pregnant? Hearing this word, Lumian's scalp instantly went numb.
Li Keji is pregnant?
Pull yourself together; you're a man!
How did he get pregnant? Who did it? When?
Relying on the endurance of an Ascetic, Lumian maintained relative calm on the surface. He asked in a deep voice, "Are you certain?"
"It's definitely pregnancy," Li Keji's voice came from somewhere far from the iron door. "I used to be a doctor, then became a biologist. Do you think I can't tell if it's a pregnancy?"
He really is pregnant… Lumian's whole body went numb.
Among all the Beyonder paths he currently knew of that could make a man pregnant, only those related to the Great Mother could do it!
Did Grimm and the others secretly come to Crimson Moon Hospital to impregnate Li Keji without telling me? That doesn't seem right. For such a big matter, they would have no reason not to report to the Child of God… Moreover, he said that currently in the dream city, only I, as the Child of God, possess godhood and can promote rapid fetal growth while impregnating Li Keji, and this would still require the support of the obstetrics and gynecology department of Mushu Hospital… Lumian's first reaction was to suspect Grimm and other bestowed of the Great Mother, but the information he had previously obtained was insufficient to support this reasoning.
He immediately thought of a possibility.
Zhou Mingrui had received a strong stimulus, causing some changes in the dream that he and others hadn't yet noticed, and the Great Mother could now bestow godhood on a few chosen ones.
It's only been one day, and problems from the changes have already erupted. Could it be this fast?
Besides, Grimm believes I've already impregnated Li Keji, there's no need to do it again…
I've already impregnated Li Keji…
As his brain worked rapidly, Lumian suddenly had an incredible guess.
Could the child in Li Keji's belly be mine?
Amidst his shock, Lumian followed this train of thought.
Last week, I high-fived Li Keji in the psychiatric ward of Mushu Hospital. I used this to falsely claim that I had impregnated Li Keji to deceive Grimm, so he wouldn't suspect my identity as a Child of God…
21:50
Could it be that this contact actually made Li Keji pregnant?
But I only have a bit of Omebella bloodline, and I don't possess any Sower-related abilities…
No, it's just that I don't have them in reality, the objective conditions are completely unsatisfied, but this is a dream…
As long as the dream subconscious believes it, even the most outrageous and absurd things can happen…
At that time, when I high-fived Li Keji, in Grimm's eyes I was the genuine Child of God Omebella, and I do indeed possess Omebella's bloodline. Did this make me roughly equivalent to the real Child of God Omebella in the dream subconscious's perception? And the Child of God Omebella does have the corresponding Beyonder powers to impregnate Li Keji…
Moreover, most importantly, the place where I high-fived Li Keji and said words like "he's already pregnant" was Mushu Hospital, a place where the Great Mother can exert great influence. It's possible that the dream subconscious, confused and misled by the environment there, equated me with the Child of God Omebella…
Yes, there's one more point!
Lumian's pupils suddenly dilated.
They had previously overlooked one thing, subconsciously equating the dream subconscious with Mr. Fool's subconscious.
But in reality, the dream subconscious should be a mixture of Mr. Fool's subconscious and the subconscious of The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings
In this situation, the characters created by the dream subconscious and the changes brought about wouldn't completely originate from Mr. Fool's cognition, nor would they always be beneficial to Lumian and others!
Based on this, the character images in the dream city, including Luo Shan, Ai Nana, Deng, and others, couldn't be simply defined as characters woven by Mr. Fool's subconscious based on his own cognition and the situation in the dream city. Here, Mr. Fool's subconscious needed to be replaced with the dream subconscious.
In other words, Deng, Ai Nana, Luo Shan before drinking the Shaman potion, and other various characters, some came from Mr. Fool's cognition, some from that Celestial Worthy's cognition, some were mainly based on Mr. Fool's cognition but have been secretly spiced up by the Celestial Worthy. They couldn't be thoughtlessly viewed and analyzed as one type.
The environment of Mushu Hospital, as well as Grimm's cognition and the fact that I truly have Omebella bloodline, made the dream subconscious at that time become dominated by the Celestial Worthy, choosing to "believe" that I was the Child of God Omebella, so Li Keji quietly became pregnant after our high-five? Omebella's child is equivalent to a direct descendant of the Great Mother, so when it's born, Li Keji will be completely corrupted by the Great Mother? The more Lumian thought about it, the more horrified he felt.
He thought of an even more terrifying development.
If Mr. Fool was at an absolute disadvantage, and the Celestial Worthy became the ruler of the dream city, He could completely blur the line between truth and falsehood, making the identity of "Child of God Omebella" in the dream city fully activate on the real-world Lumian, becoming real.
At that time, the real Omebella would resurrect and return through Lumian's body.
I almost fell for it without realizing… A cold sweat broke out on Lumian's back.
He remembered a joke he had seen online recently, and couldn't help but laugh self-mockingly. "Pregnancy really can happen from holding hands…"
"What did you say?" Li Keji asked confusedly from inside the ward.
Startled and emotionally stirred, Lumian calmed down and asked calmly, "When did you become pregnant?"
He was still a little in denial.
Li Keji honestly said, "At first I thought it was because I used my own flesh and blood and spirituality to create new mushrooms, causing spores, mycelium, and such things to enter my body and implant in my abdomen. Yes, this was part of my new experiment after you suggested it.
"But after careful examination, the time of pregnancy was clearly earlier."
Lumian fell silent for a moment before responding, "Can I come in to confirm?"
"Sure," Li Keji didn't refuse.
Lumian took a step forward, his figure suddenly disappearing from the corridor and appearing in Li Keji's ward.
At first glance, he didn't see a single mushroom,
This surprised him.
Logically speaking, Li Keji's living space, under the bed, in the corners, behind the door, should have been full of various mushrooms.
But now, the room was as clean as someone else's home.
Lumian then looked at Li Keji sitting on the bed and found that his belly had indeed swollen slightly.
In the next second, his spiritual intuition as a Demoness of Despair allowed him to confirm that the child in Li Keji's belly was blood-related to him.
But it wasn't related to Lumian, nor to Lumina, but to Omebella!
It really is mine… Just as Lumian was about to speak, he suddenly felt many nearly invisible fine threads swaying around.
Mycelium? He instinctively looked up and finally saw a mushroom.
The mushroom was semi-transparent, attached to the chandelier position, with a large amount of mycelium hanging down. At first glance, it looked just like a common jellyfish.
"Is this the half-finished product you mentioned?" Lumian probed.
The scruffy Li Keji nodded. "Yes."
"Where are the failed products?" Lumian asked further.
Li Keji answered seriously, "They were all absorbed by it."
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the jellyfish-like mushroom floated down, brushing against his palm.
For some reason, Lumian was reminded of the image of a young brown bear nuzzling its keeper.
"What about the mushrooms that were in the room before?" Lumian asked for confirmation.
"They were also absorbed by it," Li Keji's voice carried a hint of expectation.
Lumian was silent for a while before saying, "I can help you abort it."
"But, but he is indeed my child," Li Keji responded hesitantly.
He seemed to have gained some maternal instinct.
Lumian's lips twitched slightly as he initiated Instigation.
"No, he's not your child, he's the child of an evil god.
"Haven't you always wondered why you were arrested? It's because an evil god took a liking to you and had Her followers fabricate charges to lock you up in the psychiatric ward.
"Think about it, you're a man, how could you normally get pregnant?"
"Women can get pregnant, why can't men? Mushrooms can too!" Li Keji argued with Lumian.
Lumian didn't give up and continued, "But can you get pregnant without doing anything, unconsciously?"
"Right…" Li Keji finally felt something was amiss.
Lumian quietly exhaled and said, "This pregnancy is the result of the evil god entering your dreams."
Lumian felt that if he hadn't fully digested the Instigator potion, using Instigation to persuade Li Keji to abort would be enough to complete the act. Unfortunately, he didn't need to additionally digest the Instigator potion.
As a member of the assassination operation against Zaratulstra, as the person who assassinated Mr. Cui, Lumian had already digested the Assassin potion. Currently, only the Witch needed to be acted upon. He decided that if Li Keji chose to abort later, he would try to make the process as mysteriously terrifying and flashy as possible, to expel the Great Mother's child in the identity of a Witch.
"If you don't abort the child in your belly, it will absorb your flesh and spirituality, growing rapidly in two to three weeks. When it's born, you will become a dried corpse, unable to do more mushroom experiments, unable to fulfill your dream," Lumian said in a low voice, describing the possible consequences.
Hearing that he wouldn't be able to do more mushroom experiments, Li Keji made a decision. "Alright, please help me."
Before Lumian could respond, he continued on his own, "If the evil god's child hybridizes with mushrooms, it might produce some special changes…"
Evil god's child… hybridize… Forget about your mushrooms… Lumian didn't want to be chased by a mushroom calling him mother in the future.
At this moment, Li Keji's eyes lit up.
"Wait until I've thought of a plan, then you can help me abort it. This will take one or two days."
Lumian didn't dare to force Li Keji; after all, in Mr. Fool's subconscious cognition, no matter how inconceivable things were, this biology teacher could create them through mushrooms. If he became an enemy and forced an abortion, perhaps something terrifying would happen.
"No problem," Lumian responded.
He secretly decided that when the time came, he would make the evil god's descendant in Li Keji's belly disappear without a trace, unable to hybridize with mushrooms.
Lumian then cautioned, "Don't tell anyone else about the evil god for now, otherwise catastrophe will befall us."
"I won't," Li Keji shook his head. "I haven't dared to talk to Ms. Jiajia or other colleagues about mushrooms recently; they seem to have become different people."
"Become different people?" Lumian's gaze suddenly froze.
-x-X-x-
Lumian's initial feeling was that Li Keji had noticed the difference between Queen of Stars Cattleya and Huang Jiajia, but after careful consideration, he overturned this guess.
This was because Li Keji said his other colleagues also seemed to have become different people, and it was unlikely that they had all been occupied and used by external consciousnesses.
"Why do you feel this way?" he asked Li Keji.
Li Keji stroked his belly and said, "The previous ones ate the mushrooms I sent, but the current ones haven't!"
The current ones haven't? Does this mean they've been replaced? Lumian's thoughts raced as he carefully asked, "What about Bernie Huang? Have you seen her recently, and is she different from before?"
"I've seen her, but I don't know if there's been any change. She never ate the mushrooms I sent before," Li Keji answered honestly.
In other words, Li Keji can't distinguish the difference between external consciousnesses and dream manifestations, nor does he have the observational ability to do so. However, he can determine whether the person in front of him has eaten the mushrooms he created… Taken together, did he mean that Huang Jiajia and others at Star Tutoring Classes had eaten them before, leaving corresponding traces, but recently they hadn't? Had Huang Jiajia and the others been replaced? Lumian had already been surprised when he heard Li Keji say that Huang Jiajia and the others seemed to have become different people, but now he felt more confused and alert.
He was currently inclined to believe Li Keji's statement, thinking that the Mushroom King, who was confined to the psychiatric ward and hadn't yet given birth, had not been completely corrupted and wouldn't be experiencing hallucinations or have his personality twisted to enjoy lying. Moreover, in the dream city, based on Mr. Fool's subconscious cognition, Li Keji had a certain uniqueness and could indeed possibly discover anomalies.
Who replaced Huang Jiajia and the others? Why replace them? Lumian pondered these questions.
Suddenly, he thought of one person: Zaratulstra!
When Lumian first discovered that Zaratulstra had visited Star Tutoring Classes, his initial reaction was that this Angel wanted to do something to the dream manifestation of Ma'am Hermit. But later, as events unfolded with Li Keji being arrested and sent to the psychiatric ward, this led him to overturn his original suspicions and stop thinking in that direction.
Now, the new discovery made him reconsider his earliest guess.
Zaratulstra likes to exert force on both overt and covert lines simultaneously. On the surface, he was helping the Great Mother control Li Keji and eliminating the hidden dangers brought by mushrooms, while secretly taking advantage of opportunities like visits to target Huang Jiajia and other teachers at Star Tutoring Classes, replacing these dream manifestations? The benefit of doing this would be that the attention of covert saboteurs would be focused on Li Keji's matter, overlooking the key point that Star Tutoring Classes itself was also a target… Lumian only now realized that Zaratulstra's plan was far more extensive than what he and his team had previously analyzed.
Based on this, he believed that Zaratulstra should have chosen the Conspirer pathway rather than being a Seer.
His experience, knowledge, intellect, and style are truly worthy of a real Angel… Lumian inwardly sighed, continuing to question Li Keji, wanting to understand more details.
But apart from knowing whether those colleagues had eaten the mushrooms he gave them, Li Keji shook his head in ignorance to all other questions.
Finally, Lumian could only caution, "You must come up with a plan in these two days, otherwise the minions of the evil god will take action against you again, causing the child to be born in the near future."
This referred to his and Grimm's previous agreement to take action again in a week to help the fetus in Li Keji's body develop rapidly.
"Alright," Li Keji answered, touching his belly.
Lumian looked at him deeply, forming a new idea: After Grimm confirms that Li Keji is truly pregnant and helps the fetus gain growth "momentum" with the help of Mushu Hospital's obstetrics department, I'll secretly return and complete the abortion!
…
At Xinhong District, in the rented apartment.
Lumian's team gathered again to hear him talk about Li Keji's pregnancy and the suspected replacement of Huang Jiajia and others.
"If we assume the culprit is Zaratulstra or his accomplices, then we can't just look at Star Tutoring Classes for the replacements," Jenna expressed her thoughts. "Doesn't this remind you of anything?"
Franca had a sudden realization. "The death of the Oracle?"
"Yes," Lumian had already connected this incident with the replacement of Huang Jiajia and other Star Tutoring Classes members. "If Anderson hadn't interfered, if we hadn't discovered the Oracle's body in time, he would have definitely been sent to the morgue in Mushu Hospital B1, gaining a 'rebirth'. After that, wouldn't it count as the 'reborn' him replacing the original him?"
"Did Huang Jiajia and the others experience something similar? Was Zaratulstra targeting not just Star Tutoring Classes, but also Dream Tutoring Classes?" The more Franca spoke, the more shocked she became. "On the surface, he was seeking opportunities to contact Zhou Mingrui through visits to Dream Tutoring Classes but secretly he was replacing the teachers at Dream Tutoring Classes? How damn insidious!"
21:51
"Did Huang Jiajia and the others experience something similar? Was Zaratulstra targeting not just Star Tutoring Classes, but also Dream Tutoring Classes?" The more Franca spoke, the more shocked she became. "On the surface, he was seeking opportunities to contact Zhou Mingrui through visits to Dream Tutoring Classes but secretly he was replacing the teachers at Dream Tutoring Classes? How damn insidious!"
At this point, Franca sincerely sighed.
"Who knows what else Zaratulstra has done in secret, it's probably not just this one thing… Fortunately, we chose to eliminate the hidden danger in advance, kicking Zaratulstra out of the dream and killing His dream manifestation. Otherwise, if His overt stratagem and covert scheme were to be launched simultaneously, both reaching the brink of success, the situation would be unimaginable!
"Perhaps the whole affair would have ended there, with our complete failure as the conclusion."
"Now without the leadership of Zaratulstra and Mr. Cui, their subordinates will find it difficult to consider the overall situation. We can take this opportunity to dismantle the bombs one by one and eliminate the hidden problems," Anthony agreed with Franca's sentiments.
Lumian nodded slightly and solemnly reminded, "This is both good news and bad news.
"I believe you can all see that a Seer is more suited to hiding in the shadows, directing the play, rather than directly stepping onto the stage and exposing themselves to the audience's view.
"Zaratulstra previously needed to advance overt matters to obtain money and resources, to openly contact Zhou Mingrui, so He couldn't hide His identity and stay in the shadows. The same goes for Mr. Cui. This gave us the opportunity to set traps and make good use of the dream rules.
"Once Zaratulstra and Mr. Cui obtain new identities and return, they will surely hide behind the scenes, covertly advancing their own agendas. At that time, the roles of hunter and prey will be reversed. Even if we show just a slight flaw, we will immediately be discovered and face deadly assassination. Once attacked, the best outcome would be the person being kicked out of the dream, with the dream manifestation most likely destroyed."
"Yes, at that time the enemy will be in the dark and I'm in the light, with the danger level skyrocketing," Franca nodded in agreement.
Because of her close relationship with Luo Shan, once Zaratulstra returned and focused the investigation on why Zhou Mingrui went to Shujin Hot Pot Restaurant that day, she could easily be discovered. That's why she said "I'm in the light."
Lumian chuckled in response.
"Of course, this is also an opportunity. You continue working in the administrative department of Intis Group for now. When Zaratulstra returns, see if you can use this to set a trap for Him. If not, you can quickly resign, change your identity, and also hide in the shadows.
"At the same time, we need to make good use of this period before Zaratulstra's return."
As he spoke, Lumian picked up his phone and sent a WeChat message to "A name that leaves a deep impression on you": "How have you been lately? Are you enjoying classes?"
Soon, "A name that leaves a deep impression on you" replied: "Do you want to check what time it is now?
"If you have nothing better to do, I suggest you go out for a run."
Lumian calmly replied: "Do you still feel that the world is fake lately, that there are terrifying fake details in the people around you?"
After about ten seconds, Anderson Hood replied: "It's even more fake than before."
"Such as?" Lumian pressed.
Anderson Hood sent a 🙄 emoji:
"For example, Ai Nana, Iron Skin, Flowery Bow Tie, and other tutoring center teachers all seem more fake now, different from before."
As expected… Lumian confirmed his team's speculation.
He asked with a 🤭 emoji: "What about you, have you become more fake?"
Anderson Hood sent "a dog biting its own tail": "I might be next.
"But I recently saw news about a foreign guest being shot dead."
A good Hunter should know how to obtain information from public reports… Lumian put down his phone and said to Franca, Jenna, and the others:
"Most of the teachers at Dream Tutoring Classes have also been replaced."
"What's the significance of this replacement? To make all dream manifestations dominated by the Celestial Worthy, thus gaining victory in the consciousness battle?" Franca raised a question.
Lumian didn't answer, instead using frost to create a white board and sticking notes on it.
Each note had the name of a dream manifestation currently suspected of being replaced, as well as their corresponding real-world person.
Lumian stood in front of the white board, studying it intently for a while before asking Franca, Jenna, and Anthony, "See anything in common?"
"They are or were all pirates?" Jenna tentatively answered.
Lumian shook his head.
"That's the surface commonality.
"There's another common point hidden beneath the surface."
Saying this, he turned to his companions and said, "These are all characters that have appeared in 'The Great Adventurer' series of novels.
"In other words, they are all participants and witnesses of Gehrman Sparrow's life!"
Hearing this conclusion, Franca suddenly thought of the movie "The Great Pirate 3", of Jia Yu who was poached by Zaratulstra for playing Gehrman Sparrow, and of An Xiaotian, the original actor for Gehrman Sparrow who was now in a vegetative state.
"Is the focus of the contest the identity of Gehrman Sparrow? This also fits the prophecy 'The awakening of The World spells The Fool's return'," Franca muttered to herself.
With a nod, Lumian replied, "It seems so for now, which is why these people related to Gehrman Sparrow have all been replaced.
"The Oracle's death was the beginning, not the end."