Chapter 24: The Source of Fear

After a long day's work, Feng Xue dragged his exhausted body back to his cell. Rather than diving straight into his plans, he followed the same routine as the night before, starting his full training regimen.

He was well aware of his own impatience. Precisely because of this, he forced himself to adhere strictly to the training standards he had set. He knew all too well that once he allowed himself to slack off for even a single day, maintaining that level of discipline would become nearly impossible.

The lessons from his high school days in his previous life were enough; he had no intention of testing his willpower in a place where survival was at stake. So, despite knowing that the Clever Bird would respawn at midnight, he still exercised diligently within the confines of his solitary cell.

Calling it "small" might be an understatement—after all, a single cell in the Hive Prison measured 5m × 5m, a whole five square meters larger than the 4m × 5m shared cells that housed eight prisoners.

…

After finishing his workout, Feng Xue wiped the sweat off his body. He had adjusted his training intensity slightly, and today's results were noticeably better than the previous day's.

He made himself look like a typical gym enthusiast fresh from a session, then headed toward the restroom.

Although the prison provided fresh water in dispensers daily, along with towels, toothpaste, and toothbrushes, there were no shower facilities. The best he could do was use a damp towel to wipe himself down while taking the opportunity to study the restroom.

Calling it a private restroom was generous—there was no expectation of privacy in prison. Within the cramped two-square-meter space, three surveillance cameras captured every angle, ensuring that nothing remained unseen.

After all, this was prison. Expecting privacy was wishful thinking.

But Feng Xue wasn't there to use the toilet. He sat down, dabbing his towel in the sink water and wiping himself down, while keeping his attention fixed on the air currents in the restroom.

Though the airflow carried an unpleasant, musty staleness, Feng Xue could only perceive it through the Clever Bird. It was like receiving a radar operator's report—he understood what was happening but had no real concept of what "decayed, lifeless air" actually felt like.

All he knew was that the air moved back and forth through the sink's drain. With his expertise in civil engineering, the sound of flowing water, and the shifting air currents, his mental map of the prison gradually expanded.

This time, however, it didn't depict a clear, unobstructed space but resembled a thick net weighed down by silt—dense yet abruptly ending at certain points.

"No good. There's too much water. If I had the ability to sense water flow, this would be much easier… I wonder if there's a Clever Fish in the prison's water system?"

The thought was greedy, but he dismissed it quickly. Even though he hadn't uncovered the full layout of the underground waterway, he had already confirmed some key facts.

For one, the prison did not have any massive underground drainage systems capable of accommodating human passage. The widest section he had detected was only about 20 centimeters in diameter—far too small for anyone to squeeze through.

More importantly, the sewer network appeared to curve around something. Though his perception couldn't extend further down, it strongly suggested that there were hidden spaces beneath the prison.

"What could it be? The generator room extracting G·I particles for power? A secret, inhumane experimental facility? It's not like they're sealing away some ancient demon or—"

Feng Xue wisely cut off his own train of thought before he inadvertently jinxed himself. He finished drying off and stepped out of the restroom.

There were no clocks in the prison, and the lights had yet to be turned off. Lying on his bed, he once again picked up A History of Modern and Contemporary Popular Art and began reading.

…

[The brilliance of the stars had faded, leaving behind a somber twilight. In this prelude to dawn, all was silent and still.]

Accompanied by a soft yet emotionless voice, Feng Xue once again logged into his golden finger. As soon as he emerged from the dreamlike haze of transition, his gaze instinctively flicked to the sanity counter.

Only after confirming that the number had returned to 100 did he exhale in relief and proceed straight to the familiar [Orphan of the Snowy Night].

[Mission Complete: Flawless Tactics]

[Node Settlement: +2 Illusory Dream]

[Loot Extraction in Progress…]

[You have obtained: Haunted Photograph (White).]

"A white-tier drop this time?" Feng Xue smacked his lips, unimpressed by the outcome. However, as he read the details of the item, his brows furrowed slightly.

Name: Haunted Photograph

Category: Source of Fear

Quality: White (Common)

Effect: Reduces Sanity by 1 upon entering a non-combat node. Increases all damage dealt to enemies by 20% during combat.

Note: A photograph that accidentally captured a ghostly image. Whether it's real or not… well, that's for you to decide.

…

"What the hell is this?" Feng Xue felt a headache coming on just from seeing anything that reduced sanity, let alone something that drained it with every step.

"Wait… 'Source of Fear'—is this a new category? Does that mean all items in this series will have sanity-draining side effects? If I leave it stored in my golden finger, that's fine, but what about when I log out? Will it affect me in reality, too? Though… I suppose there are no 'nodes' in real life?"

His mind raced with thoughts, but ultimately, he refocused on the item's mechanics.

At first glance, the 20% damage boost seemed similar to the Seven Wolves Belt, but the wording was slightly different. The belt enhanced "overall attack power," whereas this item increased "damage dealt."

In real-world terms, the former would enhance physical strength, while the latter might cause wounds to bleed more profusely. But what was the underlying mechanism? Was it some kind of rule-based damage? Or did it function like Clever Bird, leveraging a unique mechanic—perhaps a curse?

Countless hypotheses flooded his mind, but he had no option to refuse the item. Begrudgingly, he stored the damn thing in his inventory.

"Now that I think about it, the Seven Wolves Belt only provided a 15% attack boost, while this thing offers a 20% damage increase. Is it because 'overall attack power' is more valuable? Or is this just compensation for the item's curse-like drawback? Maybe it's both… Or could it be the other way around, where damage amplification is inherently superior, but the curse balances it out…?"

Feng Xue consoled himself with these thoughts as he turned his gaze toward the two newly available nodes on the settlement screen: Unexpected Encounter and the standard combat node Reckless Youth.

One glance at his inventory—specifically, the Haunted Photograph that would drain sanity upon entering non-combat nodes—was enough to make the decision for him. Without hesitation, he selected Reckless Youth.

[Violence isn't omnipotent, but it is always effective.]

The phrase appeared once more. Yet this time, Feng Xue felt a subtle sense of realization. Given the pattern of previous nodes where this message had appeared, perhaps it wasn't just a suggestion to brute-force his way through.

It might also be hinting at an alternative method of clearing the node.