200 LOTM
Without the window being opened, the notebook flipped open by itself?Did someone enter my room?
Or rather, is it a paranormal incident?
Erm, there's a ghost following me. It's normal to have paranormal incidents...
In that second, countless thoughts flash through my mind.
At the same time, I see a monster drawn on the page of the open notebook.
The monster is humanoid, but it's made of tiny squirming worms.
This sounds very bizarre and terrifying, but in reality, it feels nothing of the sort. This is because this drawing is very simple and crude. It resembles the random scribbling of a kindergarten child.
No way? Some brat entered my room? A relative of one of my flatmates? As I think about it, I pick up my notebook and flip through it quickly, searching for other traces.
After flipping through two pages, I see lines of text:
"My drawing expertise is really bad.
"The main problem isn't me. I was once called a master artist.
"War is art! War is aesthetics!
"It's like I've had a dream that I often had. The dream is filled with such strange languages.
"I'm such a decadent fellow!
"We really are women!"
...
These lines of text weren't that difficult to read, but the things written down look very chaotic. It gives me a headache as I instinctively stop reading and close the notebook.
There's a problem with this!
This is like an incantation for dark magic!
I've experienced quite a few things in the past two days. I barely managed to calm myself down as I cast my gaze towards the window.
On the glass window, the blonde female ghost that looks like she's cosplaying appears.
"Do you know who did it?" I ask in a suppressed voice.
"It was done by an evil spirit," the female ghost replies with an ethereal voice.
Evil spirit sounds more advanced than some spirit or poltergeist... As a modern youth who has played many foreign games and watched some foreign television series, I think the name sounds pretty cool.
"Er... Is an evil spirit more powerful?" I ask after some deliberation.
The female ghost nods her head in agreement.
"Will this be more troublesome?" I think of asking Madam Daly to exorcise the ghosts again, but I'm also worried that she won't be able to deal with ghosts at the level of evil spirits.
"I'm also an evil spirit," the female ghost says simply.
"...Okay." I don't know how to respond.
"W-what's that evil spirit's intention behind scrawling in my notebook?" It takes me a few seconds to recall the main purpose of my question.
The female ghost shakes her head.
"I don't know."
"..." I open my mouth and change the topic. "How should I address you?"
I can't just keep calling her female ghost, right? That's not polite.
"Sharron." After the female ghost says that, her figure gradually fades and disappears from the glass window.
Seeing that she's very calm and composed, I'm relieved. I tease myself, It's a huge incident. There's no use panicking. Just focus on sleeping!
Then I wash up and go to bed. It ends up being an uneventful night.
The next morning, I wake up on time as usual. I laze in bed for ten minutes and take my time to leave the house. On the way to the bus stop, I buy a burrito that can virtually wrap everything.
With the burrito in hand, I take the bus and arrive at the company. I sit in my seat, then I get some water from the water dispenser and get down to eating breakfast.
Sigh, if I hadn't treated myself last night, then I should be having a cup of sweet soy milk.
Thinking of sweet soy milk, I associate it with the new product that has just been released at the store I frequently buy from.
Salted soy milk!
This seems to be the unique way to eat in a few places. Soy milk with soy sauce added to it!
I don't know what it tastes like... I eat my breakfast seriously and start preparing for work.
At this moment, Rozanne, who is almost late, rushes in with a huge bag in her hand.
"Here, have some beverages. My treat," she says to everyone in the office.
She's a lady with good personal relations. Including me, most of the people stand up and surround her.
"What beverages are there?" I ask casually.
Rozanne puts down her bag and hands the bag to everyone.
"Aiya, I bought a lot of bottles to get what I wanted.
"They all have different flavors.
"Sigh, if you're alive, then you should have a gambler inside you!
"Come, let's see what I picked."
What in the world is she talking about?... I'm beginning to doubt Rozanne's ability to express herself.
However, I still understood the last sentence. I quickly reach into the bag and take out a beverage.
I wonder what flavor it will be? Just as I have this thought, I see a familiar bottle design.
It's a bottle formed by twisted snake-like patterns!
This is very similar to the Assassin beverage I drank before, but the color is a little different!
It was black before, but now it's blue!
"..." I quickly turn the bottle around and see the name on the front:
Instigator
"Aren't you going to drink it? You don't like this? Why don't you drink this last bottle instead?" Rozanne points at the last bottle in the bag, puzzled.
The beverage bottle is like a ball of extended flames. It's very cool.
"No, I'm just thinking, I'm thinking..." I subconsciously refuse, searching for an excuse.
As these thoughts flash through my mind, I blurt out, "I'm wondering if I should match it with some snacks!"
As I speak, I take out the snack that was given to me by CEO Huang's non-blood-related granddaughter, Cattie Huang.
That small bag of dried mushrooms.
-x-X-x-
"These dried mushrooms don't look... very delicious." Rozanne looks at the bag of dried mushrooms in my hand seriously for a few seconds before replying hesitantly.It's obvious that she's a little embarrassed to say that the mushroom looks dry and black—it causes alarms to go off, and it can hardly whet up an appetite. After all, I'd offered it out of kind intentions.
Hehe... I take this opportunity to change the topic.
"What's your drink called?"
Rozanne immediately turns around and picks up the beverage bottle on the table. She says with a smile, "This is it! The design looks cool, right?"
The beverage bottle has a streamlined design with a footprint theme. The name is:
"Reporter."
That's different from mine... I politely compliment, "Looks good."
Rozanne twists the cap that has been opened a long time ago as if she's preparing to take a sip.
I instinctively want to stop her, but after opening my mouth, I realize that I don't have a reason.
Furthermore, a third of the Reporter beverage is gone. This means that Rozanne has already drank it. There's no point in stopping her now.
Gulp... Rozanne lowers the bottle and twists the cap back on.
"It doesn't taste bad. Try it."
"Okay, okay," I say perfunctorily.
Rozanne doesn't urge me any further. Instead, she points at the remaining beverage bottles in the plastic bag.
"You can also switch bottles."
"No need, there's no need," I reply without hesitation.
Either way, I don't intend to drink it. It doesn't matter if I switch it or not.
After two seconds of deliberation, I look at Rozanne and probe, "How do you feel after drinking it? Any special sensations?"
"Special sensations? Do you think this is a drug? Erm, it's moderately sweet and refreshing. The fragrance will definitely be better after chilling it." Rozanne says, a little pissed.
She doesn't look like she's lying... This means that she probably didn't obtain superpowers from the Reporter beverage... I subconsciously survey my surroundings and realize that my fellow colleagues have more or less drunk some of Rozanne's beverages, but none of them show any signs of abnormality.
They don't even appear dazed or confused.
Could it be that only the Assassin beverage I picked last time has a special effect? I wonder if that's considered being lucky or not... I quickly control my doubts and wave the Instigator beverage in my hand.
"I'll need to get down to work."
"Go ahead. Don't let me stop you." Rozanne waves her hand casually.
Returning to my seat, I sit down. I look at the Instigator beverage in front of me and fall into deep thought.
After about twenty seconds, I use my large mug meant for drinking water. This is something I prepare for taking pleasant gulps of water. I open the cap of the Instigator beverage and pour the liquid inside.
Although I don't plan on drinking this beverage, I'm curious about what the liquid inside looks like, and whether it contains some special powers.
Splash. I pour all of the Instigator beverage into my mug.
That's too little, isn't it? That definitely isn't 500 milliliters! I can't help but look down on this beverage's manufacturer.
My mug isn't small, but it usually can't hold the entirety of a 550-ml bottle of mineral water.
In other words, while there appeared to be quite a bit of "Instigator" in it, the manufacturer had actually cut corners!
Hmm, it's dark blue. It's clear, and it's quite enticing... I carefully observe the liquid in the mug and gather some preliminary information.
Other than that, the drink is no different from anything else, at least not on the surface.
After some thought, I decide to throw something into the mug to see if there will be any changes.
What do I throw? I look around when I suddenly get a bout of inspiration.
Those dried mushrooms!
Anyway, this isn't something I plan on eating, so I can use it for experiments.
I really am a genius!
Without any hesitation, I tear open the packaging and throw the black dried mushrooms into the dark blue liquid, watching them stretch out and expand slightly.
There aren't any changes. I'm starting to think that I'm overthinking matters.
Suddenly, messages come from my work's chat group. I start to get busy.
About fifteen minutes later, I finish my work and raise my head, preparing to stretch my neck.
Suddenly, I see a mushroom!
A white and tender mushroom with red star dots all over it!
...Where did this mushroom come from? I glance over and discover that it's growing in my mug.
It's about the size of a palm. Its skin, no—its surface is so tender and supple. On the cap, there are mushrooms of the same breed, just like its hands and feet.
What the hell is this? I'm confused.
At that moment, the mushroom sways and the cap moves upwards as though it has lifted its head.
The two slightly larger red stars that look like eyes meet my gaze.
Just like that, I look at it, and it seems to be looking at me.
A few seconds later, the mushroom reaches out its many "hands," and using the edge of the mug as leverage, it jumps out.
In the next second, it jumps to the floor and wildly runs towards the office door.
F*ck... I'm still confused.
At the same time, I discover a problem: All of the Instigator beverage in the mug is gone.
Almost subconsciously, I stand up and chase after the mushroom.
I suspect that it's a product from the fusion of the Instigator beverage and the dried mushrooms!
I have to resolve this accident I caused, as soon as possible!
The mushroom is "short" and extremely fast. It passes through the office without being obstructed, and wasn't even discovered. On the other hand, I'm stopped by my colleagues several times and have no choice but to slow down.
So, although the mushroom's footsteps are obviously smaller than mine, it still escapes from the company.
I-it charged into the company next door!
I subconsciously follow.
At this moment, the security guard next door stops me.
"What are you here for?" the tall and strong security guard asks.
My mind races as I come up with an excuse:
"I'm here for Vice President Wu."
"Vice President Wu?" The security officer doesn't believe me. "I'll ask the front desk."
While he's walking to the front desk, I approach the door and gaze inside.
I'm shocked by what I'm seeing.
The employees of the company next door are either wearing black hooded robes or wearing strange costumes. They're dancing with something similar to an "Employees' Dance for Business."
A cosplay convention? A masquerade ball? It's only nine in the morning... I'm confused again, forgetting to sneak inside.
"What's your boss doing?" I ask when the security guard returns.
It's so strange!
The security officer shakes his head.
"I don't know either.
"I'm just a worker."
Tsk, the moment I hear that, it's obvious that he's trying to draw a clear line between him and them... I press, "Is your boss inside too?"
"Yes, that one over there who isn't wearing anything," the security guard replies nonchalantly.
I focus my gaze, and the corner of my mouth twitches involuntarily.
Pervert!
-x-X-x-
Even though I'm separated from them at a distance, with all the weirdly dressed people in the way, I still see the naked man bound in dark red ropes.As for whether he's wearing something over the lower half of his body, or what he's wearing, I can't see it because of the table, chairs, and other things that are in the way.
In short, the impression that guy gives me is:
A pervert!
And he might even be into Su0026M.
Of course, it's unclear whether he's a real pervert or just cosplaying.
"Alright, you can go in now," the security guard says casually.
"Huh?" I doubt my ears.
I had lied about being here for Vice President Wu in my rush to give an excuse. I didn't expect to get permission at all. My original plan was to sneak in while the security guard went to inquire at the front desk, and catch that "mushroom man." However, the large-scale cosplay scene inside gave me a shock, causing me to temporarily fall into a dazed state of questioning myself: "Who am I," "Where am I from," and "What am I doing?" I didn't have the chance to take advantage of this opening.
"Vice President Wu has given you permission to enter. Why? Do you not understand what I'm saying?" The security guard senses my confusion.
I'm even more surprised.
"V-Vice President Wu personally said to allow me entry?"
This...
Is he trying to pull me into his marketing team?
The security officer glances at me.
"You aren't very familiar with Vice President Wu?"
"I've only met him a few times," I quickly emphasize.
The security guard turns to look at the company's interior. Seeing that Vice President Wu wasn't nearby, he says, "Vice President Wu doesn't like to talk. He doesn't answer questions or give instructions.
"Later, we figured out the rules. Whatever he doesn't object to on the spot is him giving tacit approval for."
Is that so... But it could also be because of other reasons. I once knew a friend who wasn't smart and had a slow reaction. He only understood the first joke when someone was beginning the second joke. Perhaps Vice President Wu is such a person. He doesn't answer the question because he's still digesting the information. He needs more than ten minutes to think about the answer... I don't argue with the security guard and just mutter inwardly.
Since I have an opportunity like this, I obviously wouldn't care if Vice President Wu really acquiesced or if the Creator had given him looks but forgot to give him intelligence. I immediately walk past the security guard and enter the neighboring company.
I carefully circle the edge of the room which is in a noisy din with all kinds of crazy dancing happening, searching for the mushroom man I created by mistake.
Skull decorations... Blood-colored juice... painting made of leather... This... Not only is the perverted boss next door a multi-level marketing person, but he also believes in some strange cult? As I scan my surroundings, my heart beats faster as my urge to escape increases.
If I wasn't already an Assassin and was able to do a Leap of Faith and be in possession of extraordinary powers, I definitely wouldn't have dared to stay any longer.
As I walk, I see a long table filled with breakfast.
At this moment, a man in a long black robe with a hood suddenly turns his head and looks at me.
"Who are you?" he asks hesitantly.
I reply without any scruples, "I'm cosplaying an employee!"
Just because all of you are cosplaying cultists or all kinds of strange figures, does that forbid me from doing a serious role?
"Employee..." The man repeats my words in confusion.
He doesn't seem to have a high IQ... That's true. If I'm doing a MLM business, I'll definitely like this kind of member more. They're easy to deceive! I take this opportunity to walk past the black-robed man and to the long table.
As I sweep my gaze, joy suddenly surges in my heart.
I see that "mushroom man"!
It's lying in a pile of roasted mushrooms, wrapping itself with a layer of sauce, pretending to be ordinary, normal food.
However, its seductive aura betrays it.
Even though there's a lot of food on the long table, it still stands out.
It doesn't seem to have a high IQ as well... I pretend not to notice as I slowly approach.
Then, I extend my hand toward the mushroom man.
At this moment, a fork stabs the "mushroom man" and lifts it up before I can get to it.
The "mushroom man" attempts to struggle, but to no avail. It's stuffed into the mouth of a "beautiful-looking" man with a fork and is chewed.
Poor thing. As it had no mouth, it was eaten by the other party before it could even scream.
Me: "..."
"What? What's wrong?" the man with the androgynous looks asks in a muffled voice while eating the mushroom.
"Are you alright?" I ask hesitantly.
Gulp... The beautiful man swallows the last mouthful of mushroom.
"I'm good."
"Really? You're fine?" I ask subconsciously.
I have a nagging feeling that a strange creature like the "mushroom man" wouldn't die so easily.
"I'm fine." The beautiful man shakes his head. "You are?"
"I'm with Vice President Wu. How may I address you?" I carefully observe the other party's condition.
The beautiful man's expression sinks.
"I'm Mr. A."
I stare at him for a few seconds before smiling.
"I'm heading to Vice President Wu's side."
Without any hesitation, I maintain my smile and quickly leave the long table and walk out the door.
After leaving the neighboring company, I turn to the stairwell and hold in my expressions. I take out my phone.
"Hello, is this the police? I found the site of a large-scale pyramid scheme!"
-x-X-x-
I honestly inform Mr. Policeman about my suspicions of the company next door. After all, this company has existed since before I was employed at my present company. To be able to remain hidden for so many years meant that they knew how to hide the evidence and cover up their tracks.
Also, I actually can't prove that the company next door is involved in a pyramid scheme.
Strange costumes and eccentric behavior are never valid charges.
The reason I called the police was because I was worried about Mr. A's safety. He had eaten that mutated mushroom man. Who knew what would happen if he waited a little while. It wasn't as though I could monitor him and resolve the problem in time.
As for whether the police could solve anything that involved supernatural events, I'm quite confident.
This is a result of simple deduction through logic.
The medium who's good at exorcism, Madam Dai, is Officer Deng's fiancée;
The police department collaborator, Old Neil, is also sensitive to ghosts and obviously has a solution for dealing with them;
The mysterious cult that Officer Deng reminded me to watch out for can create extraordinary beings.
Based on these points, it's easy to conclude that the police have a deeper understanding of supernatural powers.
Since they have a deeper understanding, they definitely wouldn't lack the strength and solutions to deal with it.
Putting away my phone, I glance sideways at the company next door that's still "normal." Suppressing my concern, I return to my desk and start working.
I'm plagued by all kinds of trivial matters for my last project the entire morning. I was so busy that I didn't even have time to poop on company time.
As noon approaches, my phone suddenly buzzes.
I pick it up and see an unfamiliar number.
Who is it? A scammer? Some advertising agent? It's not listed... I mutter as I pick up.
"Hello, were you the one who called the police. You said that Aurora Company at 10-188 at Fengfei Road is suspected to be involved in a pyramid scheme?" A slightly tired voice comes from the other end of the phone.
The police are already here? Have they done the investigation? At that moment, questions flashed through my mind before a scene surfaces:
The cosplayer cultist, Mr. A who looks like a beautiful man, is covered in mushrooms with golden spots. He wobbles as he walks towards the police.
How terrifying... I can't help but shiver and hurriedly reply, "Yes, I called the police.
"I think their behavior is very suspicious. Did... did you find anything?"
"They're a legit company." The policeman on the other end of the line sighs and says, "You can't think that they're involved in a pyramid scheme just because they hold parties early in the morning. There are countless companies that shout slogans and even dance every morning."
"But, one look at their gathering and you can tell it's not normal," I subconsciously retort.
The policeman on the other end of the line says helplessly, "Can't they cosplay in the morning? Can't they have a masquerade party in the morning?
"You can complain about them disturbing the peace, but you can't say that they're running a pyramid scheme.
"They already explained that this is the company's corporate culture."
Can we define a company with such corporate culture as a cult? I originally want to say that, but when I think about the news of punishing employees to crawl like dogs, I feel that the company next door hasn't gone too far.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I was too sensitive," I apologize hastily.
The policeman on the other end of the line heaves a sigh of relief.
"Don't do this again in the future..."
Without waiting for him to finish, I forcefully interrupt, "Did you discover anything?"
Was there anyone who got food poisoning because of mushrooms?
"What can we discover? They're all working hard," the policeman on the other end of the line says impatiently.
He emphasizes that I shouldn't be too sensitive and hangs up.
It seems Mr. A is fine... I'm relieved. I stand up and look around.
At this moment, there are only two or three people left in the office waiting for their food to be delivered. The other colleagues have already gone to the office canteen on the second floor.
CEO Huang has always been very generous to his employees. He gives plenty of meal allowance, but all of it is transferred to our employee card. It can only be used at the canteen.
Of course, the company canteen's standard is quite good. Regardless of the ingredients, quantity, or culinary skills, they're all satisfactory.
The only problem is that there isn't much variety in staples—only rice, noodles, and wontons. Some of the employees can only rely on delivery food when they want to eat rice noodles or pancakes.
To me, this doesn't pose a problem. As long as the dishes have variety, it doesn't matter what the staple is.
It would be a waste not to use my meal allowance. It's not like it can be used outside!
Rubbing my stomach, I open my drawer, take out my employee card, and run towards the elevator.
After entering the canteen, I look for a window seat first.
Just then, through the window, I see a row of people standing downstairs.
The leader is CEO Huang.
CEO Huang quickly gets into a Rolls-Royce, and it drives off behind another car.
I know that leading car. I just sat in it yesterday—it belongs to our partner company's Rosago.
Thinking of this racer, I suddenly feel a little nauseous. I feel like I'm suffering from motion sickness.
This... Mr. Zaratulstra has arrived via high-speed rail? CEO Huang is going to personally fetch him... He places great importance on this. I rein in my thoughts and cast my gaze back at the food selection window.
Besides, this job has already been handed over. What happens next has nothing to do with me!
After having a perfect lunch, I saunter back into the office and lean my neck against a neck pillow.
I have a habit to sleep for a while at noon, or else I'll be groggy in the afternoon.
And I need to listen to music during my afternoon nap to avoid being disturbed by the random noises in the office.
I quickly put on my inner ear headphones, open on a music player, and start searching for today's lullaby.
Eh? There's a new song. It's from overseas, and it's doing pretty well. I glance at it, my interest piqued.
During my afternoon nap, my music of choice has always been more inclined towards songs in foreign languages, because if I don't focus on listening, it won't be easy to understand, and I wouldn't care too much about the lyrics. I won't let my imagination run wild.
The reviews are okay... I quickly decide to buy the song.
When translated, the song's title is "Advance! Advance!"
Its singer is Alger Wilson.
I check the information on this singer and find that he is rather inspirational. He was originally just a crew member who drifted out at sea, but after much hardship, he became a singer.
-x-X-x-
In a daze, I open my eyes.
Holy sh*t, when did I fall asleep? I have no recollection at all!
I glance around blankly and find my colleagues working in their respective cubicles.
I only remember that I was getting ready to listen to a song, and here I am? Did I black out? I didn't drink... Ouch, my head hurts, I'm so dizzy, I want to vomit... At this moment, I feel like I've just woken up from a hangover.
Of course, this is just a feeling, as I've never been drunk.
Raising my hands to rub my temples, I glance at the music player and find that it has stopped playing.
Advance! Advance! ...Yes, I was listening to this song! I can't remember its melody at all... Puzzled, I click on the song's reviews again.
"Nice!"
"An unprecedented experience."
"Excellent pleasure."
...
Because I've read the reviews on the first few pages, I only take a few casual glances and scroll to the end:
"Thank you so much for this song! It cured my chronic insomnia."
"The purest and most punk death rock!"
"This song made me faint. This isn't a description, but literally what happened!"
"I can't imagine how humans can make such sounds..."
"If you're a man, try lasting 30 seconds!"
...
This... This song is a little problematic... I won't listen to this so-called "death rock" again... I grit my teeth for a few seconds before deciding to add another review:
"An unprecedented form of music! It transcends human understanding!"
I have to let others experience it too. I can't be selfish!
After getting a preliminary explanation for the mysterious blackout, I take off my headphones and prepare for work.
However, my head is dizzy and my forehead is throbbing in pain. From time to time, I feel disgusted.
This is a lot worse than the heatstroke I previously suffered from. Even the office's powerful air-conditioning is unable to ease my discomfort.
No, I have to go to the hospital for a checkup. I feel like I'm going to crash... I try to calm myself down, but I still can't hold on.
Luckily, CEO Huang has always been generous. Every employee has two days of paid medical leave without a doctor's note.
I quickly write a request for time off and head to Director Ai's office to ask for his signature.
Perhaps it's because my complexion is really bad, Director Ai doesn't make things difficult for me. Out of concern, he even asks me if I need someone to send me to the hospital.
"There's no need. It's not that serious." I still care about my face. I would never ask for help if I can solve it myself.
"Okay, go back and have a good rest. If there's anything urgent in the afternoon, I will arrange someone else to do it." Director Ai doesn't insist.
Out of the building, I get a rideshare without hesitation. I don't put on a strong front by taking the bus.
I've always been willing to spend money when the time calls for it.
"Mushu Hospital." Very soon, the car arrives. I board it and first verify my destination.
Mushu Hospital is one of the better public hospitals in the surrounding areas, but it's not one of the best. Hence, there are fewer patients and there wouldn't be a long line for the Emergency Department.
The hospital that Bai Ailin went to last night is at the district level. Although I haven't been there before, I have a nagging feeling that it's very reliable.
"Okay," the driver answers simply and starts the car.
Time ticks by as I gradually feel alive. My head isn't that dizzy anymore, and I no longer have cold sweat. The throbbing pain completely disappears.
Holy f*ck... Did I choose a hospital that's too far away? I'm scared that I'll be alright by the time I make it to the hospital... I can't help but have a strange thought.
As it turns out, this isn't wishful thinking. When the driver arrives at my destination, I'm completely awake and alive. I even feel a little hungry.
There's no need to go to the Emergency Department... After a round of inspection, I'm certain I'm in a good condition.
Thus, my only option is to enjoy this spare time for myself. After all, I've already taken time off, and there's no way to cancel it.
Return home to play games? Find a movie to watch? Ah, right. I still have to register at the Dream Tutoring Classes. I can't not do anything after being paid. I happen to be free right now anyway. I pick up my phone, look for the picture of the address of the tutoring center that I took, call another rideshare, and head there.
"Hello, I'd like to know more about your tutoring class." I don't directly say that I'm going to sign up while facing the male receptionist.
To be honest, I think this tutoring center is a little strange. It actually uses men as receptionists instead of women.
I'm not discriminating against men, but I feel that women are more patient and gentle.
The receptionist briefly introduces the courses they have before asking, "What would you like?"
This fellow is so silly that he's comparable to that Dani... Is this the theme of this tutoring center
? I cough lightly and say, "Weekend, business English."
"This is the best course out of our Dream Tutoring Classes. Our principal is in charge of it, and she has even invited a few foreign teachers—real foreign teachers," the receptionist says without end. "We can still get you a discount if you sign up now. The original price is 8,888 yuan, but it's only 6,666 now!"
"Is your principal very capable?" I take the opportunity to ask.
The receptionist points to the corridor.
"She's been studying abroad for many years and has mastered a lot of languages. She even has a PhD in education."
I trace the receptionist's finger and gaze at the ajar classroom door in the corridor.
The one holding the class is a woman. Her side is facing the outside, and she's wearing a pair of loose jeans. Her upper body is wearing a white slim fit shirt with flowers. Her hair is dyed brown, and she has tied her hair up in a bun.
In addition, based on my Assassin vision, I can clearly see the principal's side profile. She's not too old—only in her twenties. She has some baby fat on her face, and the contours of her face are very exquisite. She's probably pretty good-looking.
"Our principal is very knowledgeable. Other than being a polyglot, she knows how to draw, do oil paintings, sketches, watercolor paintings, and all kinds of paintings. She also knows how to appraise antique, and different musical instruments. She's practically an all-rounder!" The receptionist's tone is filled with admiration.
Just as I'm about to respond, a man walks into the tutoring center.
"Look, this is our foreign teacher, Mr. Anderson Hood." The receptionist immediately introduces him, "He's proficient in at least ten languages. He can communicate with you alone and train your accent."
From the corner of my eye, I see a foreign young man with blond hair and blue eyes. He's wearing a white shirt and black vest. With the intention of testing him, I switch to English.
"Hello, what languages do you know? How long have you been teaching at this tutoring center?"
The tutor named Anderson Hood has his hands in his pockets as he smiles and says, "#@%%#*()()——"
Me: "..."
What is he saying...
Also, why does this guy look so familiar with the way he has his hands in his pockets?
Anderson glances at me and chuckles.
"How is it? My Mauritian Creole isn't bad, right?"
This time, he uses English.
He then translates it into Chinese.
"I don't understand..." I answer honestly.
I can't be sure what language he said the first time.
Anderson tsks and says, "It looks like you don't have any talent in languages.
"Why don't you learn how to paint from me?"
-x-X-x-
"..." For a moment, I'm at a loss on how to respond to Anderson Hood. I'm afraid that I would end up quarreling with him the moment I open my mouth.
After a few seconds, I finally find a relatively euphemistic solution.
"Oh, you're even able to paint?"
The receptionist eagerly says, "Heh, he knows a lot of things. He originally came to our country to learn banter, claiming that he's proficient in all kinds of things."
That sounds like sarcasm... The receptionist and this foreign teacher don't seem to be on good terms... I wonder if he's speaking the truth or just joking... Although I'm not particularly good at observing people, his behavior is a little obvious.
"Haha, if you wish to learn banter, I can teach you as well," Anderson Hood says with a well-enunciated Chinese accent.
"We'll see?" I'm a little confused about the current situation, and I have no choice but to say something perfunctory like "I'll check my schedule."
After watching Anderson walk into the office, I turn my head and ask the male receptionist, "Can I not sign up for his class?"
"That's one of your rights." The male receptionist looks excited. "A wise choice!"
He then gives me a thumbs up.
"T-this... foreign teacher—Anderson... Is he that bad?" I glance in the direction of the office.
The male receptionist chuckles.
"To be honest, he's very capable. His only flaw is..."
He pauses.
"What is it?" I can't help but ask in response.
The male receptionist turns solemn.
"That he's not a mute!"
"Hahaha." I laugh, half-sincere and half-polite.
Then, I ask curiously, "Do people sign up for his classes?"
"Yes, quite a lot." The male receptionist curls his lips.
"Aren't they aware that you can't withdraw from classes and switch teachers after signing up?" I take the opportunity to gather more details.
"No." The male receptionist quickly corrects me. "We have one trial lesson. If you're not satisfied, you can switch to another teacher."
He pauses and laughs.
"Well, you know, some people just like to get mocked and trampled on."
It sounds like they have a special fetish... I stop asking further.
"Then I'll sign up for your principal's class. Are there weekend classes?"
"Yes." The male receptionist quickly does the introductions.
I don't waste any time. After paying 6,666 yuan, I sign up for the Dream Tutoring Classes' weekend business English class.
After leaving the Dream Tutoring Classes, I don't leave the building. Instead, I find a quiet corner and take in the feel of the air conditioner. I then make a record of today's events.
To be a commercial spy, one has to act like a commercial spy. I have to live up to Miss Huang's payment!
Done! I casually tap my phone and look at the department chat to prevent myself from missing any important notices.
Rozanne: "Take note, take note: CEO Huang is bringing a VIP over to visit. Everyone, please be more professional."
VIP... Oh, that client named Zaratulstra. Heh heh, I actually missed him again. Looks like we aren't fated to meet... I hold my phone and consider what to do next.
It's rare for me to have free time in the afternoon on a non-weekend day. I can't waste it.
Hmm, I'll go catch a movie. There shouldn't be a lot of people at this time. With that thought in mind, I immediately head to the larger mall next door. Then, I take the elevator to the fourth floor and start searching for the cinema.
Eh, there's a signing event... Looking around, I see many people lining up at the entrance of a large bookstore.
It's obvious that a famous author is here to do a fansigning event.
With some level of curiosity, I deliberately pass by and see a few poster stands.
Romance Queen... Slacker Without a Dream... This pen name, heh, the authors nowadays really have weird pen names... I don't know the author of the fansign event, nor do I have any intention of joining in the fun.
Of course, I'm still a little curious as to what the author looks like. After all, the few poster stands that aren't blocked mainly introduced the Romance Queen's new book without any pictures.
I'll come take a look after the movie... I mutter to myself and follow the road signs to the other side of the mall. At the end of the road, I find the cinema.
Because I haven't thought of what to watch, I stay in the lobby and look for something that peaks my interest from the promotional pictures.
Suddenly, I feel the light in front of me dim.
A tall man appears beside me!
He's so tall. He's almost two meters... I look at him from the corner of my eye and realize that he looks like a basketball player.
Wait, he seems to be wearing the junior high school uniform near my neighborhood!
Holy sh*t, he's only in middle school and he's already two meters tall?
What do children nowadays eat?
A-and he dyed his hair brownish-yellow...
Does he need to attend classes? Well, it's summer vacation now.
But why are you wearing your school uniform during the summer vacation?
As I lampoon, I take a stealthy step in the opposite direction, in case the child makes me look like a dwarf.
Meanwhile, I find the movie that I'll be watching. I don't have to wait too long.
"The Pirate 3: Crazy Adventurer"
In the corresponding promotional pictures, a man in a top hat and trench coat is standing between lightning, waves, and storms with three retro pirate ships surrounding him. And at the bow of each ship stands a beautiful female pirate.
=================
This chapter's release was pushed back (the final chapter will be released tomorrow) to promote Cuttlefish's new book: Embers Ad Infinitum
Again, be prepared for a well-thought out and detailed apocalyptic, cyberpunk world with a setting superseding Lord of the Mysteries!
Take note that the beginning of the story is slow (maybe even slower) like LOTM, but make sure to unlock all available chapters with COINS so that the book is continued! Otherwise, it will be dropped in Trial Reads! Have faith in Cuttlefish! Also, please continue supporting Cuttlefish by unlocking chapters in Coins even if it's continued!
Synopsis below:
Our protagonist, Shang Jianyao, is crazy—literally crazy, at least that's what the doctors said. Living in a huge, underground building of Pangu Biology, one of the few remaining factions in this apocalyptic wasteland known as the Ashlands, he acts in unfathomable ways that's head-scratching, comical, and shrewd. So is he really crazy? Probably.
He has a grand dream: to save all of humanity. Intricately tied to this dream is something everyone in the Ashlands believes in: Deep in a particular ruin buried away by danger and famine, a path leading to a new world awaits. To step into the new world, one only needs to find a special key and open that certain door. There, the land is bountiful, as if milk and honey flows freely. The sunlight is dazzling, as if all coldness and darkness are washed away. The people will no longer have to face desolation, monsters, infections, mutations, and all kinds of dangers. There, children are joyous, adults are happy, everything is fine as they are supposed to be.
Every Antiquarian, Ruin Hunter, and Historian roaming the Ashlands knows: That's the New World.
-x-X-x-
"The Pirate 3: Crazy Adventurer"...
It looks okay, it should be the kind of popcorn flick that I enjoy...
I look around and make a preliminary decision. I quickly take out my phone and log in to the film review website to check out its score and reviews.
"The aesthetics are shallow..."
"The plot is simple and crude..."
"Other than the special effects and the few actresses, there's nothing else..."
"The protagonist only knows how to act cool and has zero acting skills..."
"Nothing deep at all."
"It's a passable commercial film, but it's only passable."
F*ck, reviews like these... I like movies like this. I'm just watching it to kill time and don't need deep, thought-provoking shows...
I read the reviews and find that it isn't that bad. I have a rough idea.
The giant middle-school student standing beside me in front of the poster has already left to buy the tickets.
"One ticket for The Pirate 3, the earliest time slot." I go over only after the middle-school student heads elsewhere in the mall, I don't want the contrast to be that apparent. It makes me feel inferior.
"There's still 15 minutes to the next time slot," the ticket sales staff informs me.
"That's fine." I don't plan on shopping, so I decide to find a place to sit and wait. After all, they'll allow entry inside very soon.
Of course, before that, I buy a medium-sized iced Coke and a serving of butter popcorn.
I obviously have to match a popcorn flick with popcorn!!
Otherwise, how can it be called enjoyment?
In the past, I rarely watched movies, just to stop myself from overeating!
And now, my weight has returned to my university days, and it's very muscular.
This is the beauty of life!
Not long after, I enter the venue according to the signs and find my seat.
Even though it's office hours, there are quite a lot of people in the audience. A large portion of them are clearly students.
Summer vacation. I also want a summer vacation... I take a sip of iced Coke and put on my 3D glasses.
At this moment, the two-meter tall middle-school student walks along the aisle towards me.
Under normal circumstances, the gap between me and the row in front is sufficient for a person to pass through. However, the figure before me is simply too huge, and it isn't possible for me to grant him passage by just pulling in my legs.
I have no choice but to stand up and lean back.
The middle-school student successfully passes through. He turns his head and smiles sincerely.
"Thank you, Uncle."
"...No problem." I still think I'm young.
This interlude doesn't hinder me from eating popcorn, drinking iced Coke, and watching the various trailers on the big screen.
Very quickly, The Pirate 3 officially begins. My smile only lasts for five minutes before it stiffens.
It's not that the movie is worse than I expected, but that the male lead's fortuitous encounter is from drinking a potion.
The potion gives me the feeling that it's the Assassin beverage I drank before!
Man... The Assassin beverage is actually a potion? Who produced this movie? Hmm, I remember seeing the dragon logo just now... Hall Film Company? This can't be a reflection of reality, can it? I instantly immerse myself in the plot, but there aren't any other potions later in the film. Instead, it shows the serious side-effects of the potion.
My heart grows heavier as I watch it. I even feel like I'm the male lead.
After the movie, I can't help but curse inwardly.
Is this guy that clueless?
Three beautiful female pirates are surrounding him, but in the end, he only took a silly boatswain with him!
Seriously! Where's the treasure they promised, and them heading off into the sunset while accompanied by beauties? Yes, it's all disappeared off into the sunset...
After watching the easter egg, I pick up my empty Coke and popcorn bucket and walk towards the aisle.
At this moment, a short girl who's clearly less than 1.6 meters tall suddenly comes over and suppresses her voice.
"Someone is monitoring you."
Monitoring me... Who? I subconsciously look around, but I can't find the suspect.
And the woman who warned me has already followed the crowd and walked to the exit.
For real? I think for a moment and decide to leave the cinema first before confirming the situation.
There are too many people here, and it's too noisy. Calling the police wouldn't work!
...
At the same time, a train stops at a high-speed rail station in the city.
One of the carriages slowly opens, but there are only four to five people inside. They form a stark contrast with the crowd in the other carriages.
Those few people are dressed as if they're going to a comic convention. After exchanging a glance, they stand up and walk out with heavy footsteps.
What they see is an extremely modern platform and crowds of people.
—End of the first Installment of the Lord of the Mysteries trilogy—
-x-X-x-
[Bonus Chapter]
"There! It's right there!" A young man with long brown hair and a pirate-like bandana shouted as he pointed at a nearby island.
He was standing on the starboard of a three-masted sailboat. The rolling waves drowned out most of his voice.
A muscular man with a black eye patch reached out to hold the shipboard. He frowned and muttered to himself in shock and suspicion,
"I don't remember there being such an island on this sea route…"
This was not the first time their ship had plied this sea route.
The young man who had shouted replied excitedly, "This means that it's usually hidden. It only appears at specific moments.
"There must be treasures on such an island!
"Captain, in the words of that strange monk, a fortuitous opportunity has presented itself!"
He spoke in the Loen language. "Fortuitous opportunity" was a term pieced together by two words.
"That monk spouts words indecipherable to us. Pay no heed to them." The muscular man wearing an eye patch raised his hand and ruffled his slightly messy short yellow hair. "And I often tell you guys that treasures are often accompanied by danger."
As he spoke, he pointed at his right eye which was covered by the eye patch.
"That's the cost."
The young man with the pirate-like bandana sincerely said, "But, Captain, isn't this the purpose of our adventure? For treasure!"
They were a group of treasure hunters from different places. Of course, they occasionally worked as pirates and 'borrowed' food, drinks, and necessities from passing merchant ships. After all, ideals alone couldn't feed them.
The captain fell silent for a moment before saying, "Gather four to five people, and we'll step foot on the island to take a look. The rest of you, prepare to set sail at any time."
The young man's eyes lit up.
"You agreed? Captain, you agreed!"
The captain chuckled.
"Weimer, if not for the fact that there's no other choice, no one at my age would continue to be a treasure hunter."
He appeared to be in his thirties, but his blue eyes showed signs of age.
"Fine." Weimer held up his hands. "Whatever you say."
He immediately became excited.
"I'll get Ol' Keaton!"
Ol' Keaton was the ship's first mate. He believed in the God of Knowledge and Wisdom and had mastered many languages. If they didn't bring him along on such an expedition, it was very likely that they would throw away whatever treasures they found as trash.
More importantly, Ol' Keaton was also very strong.
When the ship docked at the dock that seemed to have long been abandoned, an exploration team of four had already gathered beside the gangway.
They were Captain Gray, First Mate Ol' Keaton, Boatswain Parvi, and Veteran Seaman Weimer.
"No one…" Parvi looked into the distance and muttered regretfully.
The weather in the Berserk Sea today wasn't bad. Visibility was extremely high under the blue sky, and the small port hid no secrets from her.
This place was incomparably quiet as if it had been dead for many years.
"It'll be more terrifying if there were people!" Weimer added.
It implied many things if such a hidden island remained inhabited.
Parvi was wearing a white shirt and brown pantaloons. She had a pair of beautiful light-blue eyes and a slightly androgynous appearance.
She glared at Weimer.
"You want to stay behind and clean the deck?"
Weimer shrugged and shut his mouth.
Having become a boatswain as a woman, she needed to manage many unruly crew members; she would never go easy on her threats.
Captain Gray, who was surveying the area, gave an order.
"Let's get ashore!"
He then exhorted, "We'll do it the old way. During the first exploration, don't touch anything. Just look and listen."
"No problem!" Weimer was the first to rush out of the ship and run down the gangway to the dock.
He jumped up excitedly mid-run and glided to the ground like a big bird.
The sound caused by his actions spread out in all directions, mixed with some echoes.
Behind him, Gray, Ol' Keaton, and Parvi followed carefully.
"If you continue that recklessness of yours and act on your own like an uncivilized wild dog, I'll tie you up and hang you at the stern to fish for sharks!" Parvi quickly walked to Weimer's side and warned him in a hushed voice.
Weimer nodded solemnly and muttered, "Girlboss, with your personality, you should join the Church of Storms instead of believing in the Evernight Goddess…"
Parvi didn't say anything. She looked around and followed Captain Gray and First Mate Ol' Keaton.
The port was not big. There was only a lighthouse, two simple docks, five warehouses, and a few buildings that served as a hotel, restaurant, bar, and police station. It did not take long for the four of them to circle the area.
Apart from the fact that there was no one around, everything seemed normal.
Weimer looked at the tables in the house facing the street through a relatively clear glass window and did not speak for a long time.
His expression was a little solemn given his personality.
Inside the house, on the dining table, there was a cup with brownish-black liquid and two pieces of moldy toast.
Next to them were several neatly folded newspapers.
It looked like the owner was about to enjoy breakfast when he suddenly encountered an emergency and had to leave in a hurry. He did not even have time to flip open the newspapers.
He never returned.
It would be considered normal if there was only one such example. After all, accidents were unavoidable. However, the entire port was in a similar situation. It was inevitable that it would make one's hair stand on end and imagination run wild.
In that instant, all the local residents, no, all the living creatures, seemed to have evaporated.
"They haven't been gone for long…" Captain Gray's slightly hoarse voice broke the team's silence.
Parvi subconsciously replied, "Indeed, if this port has been abandoned for a long time, the food will not just be moldy."
It seemed like only a few days or weeks had passed since the bizarre incident had happened.
Ol' Keaton retracted his gaze from the street and nodded gently.
"That's what the plants here say."
There were obvious wrinkles at the corners of the First Mate's mouth. His hair was already mottled with natural curls. He was wearing a white robe and brass-framed glasses.
"Ah?" Weimer was momentarily slow to react.
He then looked at the place where Ol' Keaton had sized up and quickly understood why he said that.
There weren't many weeds in the harbor. There were some plain or gorgeous mushrooms growing sporadically on the wooden buildings. They seemed to have existed all along.
The natural world had obviously not had enough time to invade this place.
Ol' Keaton saw Weimer's enlightened expression and didn't explain further. He turned to Captain Gray and solemnly said,
"I'm worried that something might happen if we stay here for too long."
"What might happen? Could it be that we will also disappear into thin air…" Before Weimer could finish speaking, a tanned palm appeared over his mouth.
This palm pushed his head and pressed him against the wall.
"There won't be a next time!" Parvi glared at Weimer and warned under her breath.
Weimer nodded with difficulty, indicating that he understood.
When Parvi released him, he muttered softly, "This isn't like you, Girlboss. You actually didn't slam the back of my head against the wall…"
Parvi chuckled.
"I'm afraid that the commotion will be too great and awaken up the bizarreness hidden here."
Captain Gray didn't care about their little bout. He took out his silver-white pocket watch and opened the lid.
"We'll return to the ship in another fifteen minutes.
"If everything remains normal, we'll prepare a second exploration tomorrow."
"Alright!" Weimer was the first to agree.
The four of them maintained a fine battle formation as they skirted the buildings in front of them and headed for the edge of the port.
There was a slightly stained steam locomotive parked here. The two tracks extended deep into the island.
Parallel to the tracks was a cement road.
This was exactly what Gray and the others had imagined. After all, the port bore the responsibility of loading and unloading goods, traveling passengers, and connecting other towns with convenient road traffic.
However, to their surprise and confusion, the railway was only one to two hundred meters long. At the end of it stood a sizable town.
Even though they were still at the edge of the port, the four of them could see the situation there with their naked eyes.
"Wh—" Weimer could not express his feelings in words. He could only curse under his breath. "If I were the owner of this island, I would definitely tie up the bastard who suggested such repairs at the stern to fish for sharks!"
Based on their experience in many ports, this arrangement was simply abnormal.
The town 100 meters away had to be closer and connected to this side to form a port city, or it should be a few kilometers away and be independent, unlike now!
"There might be a deeper meaning," Ol' Keaton said with a frown. "This might have something to do with the bizarre happenings here."
After he finished speaking, no one responded for a moment.
After a few seconds, Weimer looked at the town not far away and said, "Captain, do we head over to take a look?"
Captain Gray nodded.
"Sure. Twelve minutes left."
They then walked along the cement road toward the small town.
On both sides of the road, weeds flourished and mushrooms dotted the area. The closer they got to their destination, the more it was like this.
Before long, the four treasure hunters arrived at the edge of the town.
There was a wooden board erected there. On it was a word written in Loen: "Utopia."
"This place is called Utopia," Weimer muttered to himself as he cast his gaze at Ol' Keaton.
Ol' Keaton shook his head slowly, indicating that he had never heard of it.
It was the same for Parvi and Captain Gray.
They observed the situation inside from the edge of the town and confirmed that the streets were also empty. It was so quiet that even the wind seemingly found it unbearable to pass.
As they walked forward step by step, the four of them saw the Iris Hotel, Utopia's Telegraph Office, and many buildings. However, without exception, the interior of these buildings revealed that their owners had left in a hurry and never returned.
There were also cups with some water left, dry clothes that were halfway through their washing, cutlery that had been laid out, musical instruments that had not been put away, books that had been flipped through, carriages that had stopped by the roadside without any horses… These things all reconstructed the appearance of the town before the bizarre situation happened.
"I keep feeling that something is missing…" Weimer couldn't help but whisper when he saw the municipal square in sight.
-x-X-x-
Parvi shot him a glance.
"People are missing!"
"No, no, no, that's not it. I know that." Weimer shook his head seriously.
His eyes lit up.
"I know what's missing!"
"What?" Captain Gray and First Mate Ol' Keaton asked in unison.
Weimer laughed.
"Money, notes, and gold coins!"
He straightened his back and continued explaining, "Although we haven't entered the houses to conduct a detailed search, according to my experience, even if we just look from the outside, we should be able to find some. However, there's nothing at all!"
"Perhaps it's just that the people here aren't very rich and don't have the habit of leaving their money around." Parvi didn't agree.
This was not an important problem. The four of them quickly diverted their attention. After entering the municipal square, they looked at the tallest building.
It was a black-spired cathedral.
Mushrooms tenaciously grew out of the cracks in the bricks of the cathedral. They were either simple and plain, or gorgeous and colorful. They strung together, showing a presence that couldn't be ignored in front of the green vines.
"This place feels like it's been abandoned for even longer." Parvi paused before saying, "From the architectural style, this looks like the cathedral of the Goddess. Do the people here also believe in the Goddess?"
She found this rather peculiar.
The residents of such a hidden island and strange town seem to believe in the Evernight Goddess…
Ol' Keaton stared at it for a few seconds before saying, "Seems so."
Then, he immediately added, "It feels like the closer we get to the square and the cathedral, the longer it appears to be abandoned."
Be it the weeds on the road, the green plants on the surface of the buildings, or the mushrooms of all kinds, the closer they got to the center of the town, the more numerous they became. And the cathedral seemed to be covered in a green coat with many speckled holes.
After a moment of silence, Parvi suggested, "Let's go to the cathedral. As long as the Goddess is still watching this land, there won't be any particularly serious problems there."
Captain Gray and Ol' Keaton didn't object, but the former reiterated the rules of this exploration.
"After entering the cathedral, you can only use your eyes to see and ears to hear. Don't do anything else."
"No problem." Weimer walked towards the cathedral at the side of the square.
This left Parvi with no choice but to gesture a circle on her chest and simply ask for the Goddess's protection.
As there wasn't much time left, the four of them sped up and quickly arrived at the cathedral's entrance.
They were in no hurry to push the door open and enter. They "sized up" their surroundings individually.
"Very quiet," Captain Gray concluded.
The other three also expressed that they did not find any problems.
The black cathedral's door was ajar. After Weimer exerted force with his hands, it slowly opened.
The bottom of Captain Gray's black eye patch immediately lit up, helping him see the scene inside clearly.
There were no tables or chairs in the hall. There were windows on both sides that shone with light, and it was dark red above.
Drip, drip, drip. Drops of viscous, pale-yellow liquid fell from the sky and hit the ground like rain, giving people the feeling that the dome was severely damaged and was facing a storm.
Before Gray could speak, he saw the viscous, disgusting liquid dissolve into puddles.
The puddles rolled and bubbled endlessly.
The bubbles popped, and deformed babies with moist skin and pale yellow dirt crawled out.
As these babies grew rapidly, they dripped more viscous yellow liquid, creating more puddles and stirring more bubbles…
"Waaa! Waaa! Waaa!"
They began to cry.
Just seeing this scene caused blood to flow from Gray's eyes. The eye patch turned dark red as if he was moved to tears by the birth of life.
His mind was blank. He felt that every part of his body was nurturing a new life.
The sharp pain snapped him to his senses, and he instinctively took a step back.
The scene in front of Gray returned to normal. It was still the empty cathedral hall with wide windows that lacked maintenance, and a tall and magnificent dome. There was no viscous liquid that fell like rain, nor were there countless deformed babies and puddles everywhere.
"Huff, puff" Gray panted heavily.
The next second, he turned around and shouted as he ran, "Run!"
Thud thud thud! Gray rushed out of the municipal square.
He did not care about Parvi, Ol' Keaton, and Weimer at all.
He was already considered a responsible captain for still remembering to warn his teammates under the current circumstances.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Gray didn't dare stop at all. Relying on his amazing physique despite his blurred vision, he ran all the way out of the strange town, back to the crude port, and onto his ship.
Ol' Keaton, Parvi, and Weimer rushed back in less than ten seconds.
"Set sail!" Gray ordered.
Gray waited until the ship set sail before he bothered to check his injuries. He raised a hand to his eye and instantly felt moisture.
However, when he brought his hand to his eyes, he realized that it was not blood—just tears.
As he ran, he kept crying.
Grey's brows knitted together, startled and suspicious.
Soon, he confirmed that he was not injured at all.
"What did you guys see?" He turned to look at Ol' Keaton and the others.
Weimer looked at the captain. His eyes were red as if he had just cried.
He said with lingering fear, "I saw fireball after fireball.
"They fell from the roof with a whoosh and then exploded!
"Light. My eyes were filled with light. I felt like I was going blind. No, I'm already blind! Then, I felt like I was melting. It hurt. It really hurt."
Weimer heaved a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, Captain woke me up at that moment."
He rubbed his eyes and said in confusion and relief, "I'm fine now. It's just that I kept crying at first, but then I got better. It was like a bad dream."
What he meant was that the dream was very real. There were still lingering fears when he woke up, but he would be fine after a while.
Captain Gray nodded and carefully examined Weimer's eyes.
After confirming that there was really no problem, he looked at First Mate Ol' Keaton.
"What about you?"
Ol' Keaton looked at the distant coastline and the shrinking port and said in a reminiscent tone,
"The entire cathedral collapsed. I fell to the ground with the surrounding pillars and stone bricks.
"It was bottomless. Moreover, my head, my flesh, and my skin fell at different speeds. They began to pull at each other. It hurt, it really hurt…"
The slightly loose skin and deep wrinkles on Ol' Keaton's face trembled as if he didn't want to recall any more of the incident.
He exhaled and said after a while,
"My entire body was about to be torn apart. Then, it was as if there were invisible hands around me. They pressed my hands, legs, head, skin, flesh, and bones to my internal organs with great force…
"I wished I could die as quickly as possible. Fortunately, I woke up the next second thanks to you, Captain."
Weimer sighed with emotion.
"This is even more painful than what happened to me. If you hadn't woken up in time, you might have seen yourself turn into a blood-colored meatball."
Parvi listened quietly and said thankfully, "I wasn't in that much pain.
"I saw darkness—darkness that made me feel at ease.
"Then, I fell asleep. It was like I was back in my bed until I was woken up by you, Captain."
Captain Gray nodded slowly.
"From the looks of it, what we encountered or experienced is different. Moreover, we are left without any injuries."
"It's just some stress." Ol' Keaton affirmed the captain's statement.
He then voiced his guess.
"Perhaps we were under an illusion or hallucinated for some other reason. And because everyone has different personalities and experiences, what we saw and experienced were different."
Before Ol' Keaton finished speaking, Parvi blurted out, "Mushrooms! Could it be those mushrooms? Those mushrooms were the strangest!"
"Yes, definitely!" Weimer agreed after being momentarily taken aback.
It was common knowledge that one could be poisoned and end up hallucinating after eating certain mushrooms. In such a strange place, it was reasonable for one to be affected just by approaching the mushrooms.
Captain Gray seriously recalled for a moment and said, "That's possible. There was a very faint, sweet smell in the air… The fragrance of some mushrooms?"
…
In the middle of a small town called Utopia, on the surface of the cathedral that was suspected to belong to the Church of Evernight, mushrooms suddenly became active.
They squirmed and crazily spewed out large amounts of spores. Before the spores landed, they had already grown into different mushrooms in the air. Then, they continued to create more spores.
And in the gap between the black bricks occupied by the mushrooms and green plants, pale-white, tiny, baby-like deformed palms squeezed out.
Silently, the entire cathedral collapsed, and a bottomless pit appeared in the ground.
The huge pit spread out, pulling the buildings over and shattering them into pieces.
Elsewhere in the town, the large number of houses that had originally stood tall had long disappeared, leaving behind large pieces of colorful glass-like traces.
In the depths of the ground, muffled sounds came one after another.
In just a few seconds, the place had completely fallen silent.
Buildings rose from the ground one after another, and the town quickly recovered as if it had a vitality of its own.
The furnishings in the houses were almost the same as before, but there were certain differences in their details. What was left had switched to the right, and what was far became close.
…
Late at night, on the ship.
Weimer, who could not sleep because of what happened during the day, came to the deck and breathed in the moist sea breeze.
"You're still awake?" He saw the boatswain, Parvi.
Parvi was still wearing the clothes she wore during the day. She looked at the dark sea in the distance and said,
"I was going to sleep, but I suddenly recalled some details after I closed my eyes."
"What details?" Weimer asked curiously.
Parvi's face reflected the red moonlight as she said, "There's something else under the darkness I saw in the cathedral…"
Without waiting for Weimer to ask, she muttered to herself dreamily,
"There were many skeletons, some children's and some babies'. Some of them were normal, while others looked like monsters. It was packed with them, everywhere.
"Also, there seemed to be a raven hidden in the depths of the darkness."