Illusion Report

Chapter 144: Chapter 112: Fu Tailan: A Single-Handedly Engineered Shift in the Situation

The Dream Screenwriter lifted a face as blank as its mind and uttered a single syllable:

"...Huh?"

’It might have been a little shameless to think so, but Fu Tailan suspected that if you added up the IQs of the current Hai Luwei, Dream Screenwriter, and Mai Mingle, they might just have enough to shine his shoes. Hai Luwei, well, you could say he was just scared stiff. The other two were residents whose reason had been crushed by their obsessions. Being smarter than them was nothing to be proud of.’

"What are you ’huh’-ing about? I’ve been watching for a while now."

He glanced at the bald-headed, bald-faced Dream Screenwriter and said, "If I’m not mistaken, the reason you’re so obsessed with turning her into a resident is that you think it’ll disqualify her from the competition *and* let you order her to eliminate the other contestants, including me. Killing two birds with one stone, right?"

Fu Tailan had considered that he couldn’t possibly be the last contestant drafted by the Nest; this game had likely just begun.

He had also considered that future opponents would probably be tricky, and that both finding and holding on to the seven target Illusions would become increasingly difficult. Even the thought that the whole game was just a prank had crossed his mind. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

’But what I hadn’t expected was that the Nest Dominance Game would cheat. The bald resident was right—letting Mai Mingle participate in her current state is basically cheating, isn’t it?’

’Since resident Mai Mingle can’t be directly eliminated from the competition, the only option is to turn her back into a human, *then* eliminate her.’

’...If the Nest is to have a master, it can only be me.’

"Y-Yes, yes!"

The Dream Screenwriter had no facial features, so its expression was unreadable, but its tone was that of someone who had found a kindred spirit. "Isn’t that just it? Who would’ve thought she wouldn’t recognize me as her father, wouldn’t obey me, and would still want to compete! Neither of my plans worked out. Hmmph, if I’d known, I might as well have turned you into a resident. You’re quite considerate..."

"Cut the crap."

Fu Tailan observed Mai Mingle’s back. "Her returning to her human form is the optimal solution for the three of us right now, isn’t it?"

From his angle, he could just make out Hai Luwei’s eyes squeezed shut, his breathing shallow and rapid.

Even though his mouth wasn’t covered, Hai Luwei only managed a few urgent "Mmm-hmm-hmm" sounds in agreement—as if he were even afraid to breathe the air near Mai Mingle.

"Indeed," the Dream Screenwriter asked. "So what should we do?"

Bald from its head to its face, the Dream Screenwriter finally scrambled up from the ground. As long as a resident was inside the Nest, it would slowly recover no matter how severe its injuries. Just a moment ago, Mai Mingle had nearly folded it into a quilt, yet now it was able to stand up straight and lift its head again.

’Something you can’t kill... How can that be allowed to be a contestant?’

"I don’t know why, but Hai Luwei seems to have a strong attraction for her."

As he spoke, Fu Tailan drew a gun from his waist and aimed it at the back of Mai Mingle’s upper head.

"For her, killing Hai Luwei is the top priority. See? Even though I’ve announced my entire plan to you all loud and clear, and she heard every word, she’s only paused. She still can’t bear to leave Hai Luwei.

"With Hai Luwei as bait, I’ll suppress her movements. You take the opportunity to trap her in a lucid dream. Can you do it?"

Thankfully, Hai Luwei had been afraid he would fall for the Dream Screenwriter’s tricks if he rushed into the library earlier. He had given Fu Tailan a simple warning, giving him a rough understanding of the resident’s methods.

’He’s a good person. Not really cut out to be a Hunter.’

"You kid..." the Dream Screenwriter said, swaying. "You’re quite the schemer, aren’t you?"

"How confident are you?" Fu Tailan asked quietly, not sparing it a glance.

"I’ve never tried, so I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t turn a resident back into a human, but didn’t she claim to be in a superposition of human and resident? So what’s the harm in trying?"

The Dream Screenwriter’s face was a complete blank as it said, "The worst that can happen is we fail, and she kills the two of you. I can’t die anyway. If you die, that’s one less contestant, which is also a good thing. Oh my, yes, yes, yes, I really can’t lose either way."

’For some reason, it seems desperate to eliminate the contestants... A pity this isn’t the time to ask for details.’

"The condition to activate a lucid dream is that I have to stand within one meter of the target for seven seconds, uninterrupted," the Dream Screenwriter whispered. "If one of you can let her ’eat’ him for seven seconds, and the other can guarantee she doesn’t send me flying or run away during those seven seconds, the lucid dream can be activated."

"Eat for seven seconds?" Hearing this, Hai Luwei finally let out a wail. "Me? By her? Get eaten for seven seconds?"

Mai Mingle’s lower head finally, slowly, turned around to face her back. Its half-pair of horizontally-severed eyes stared right at Fu Tailan.

"What a childish plan... How are you going to suppress me? You think shooting me with a gun can do anything?"

Fu Tailan let out a laugh.

"I know it won’t, big sister."

As he spoke, Mai Mingle’s second head remained motionless, staring at Hai Luwei.

’Looks like she really, really wants to eat Hai Luwei.’

"But when you try to attack the Dream Screenwriter, I can still use the bullet’s force to knock your arm down. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and start eating Hai Luwei right now."

"Don’t be so generous with my life!" Hai Luwei yelled again.

Fu Tailan held the gun steady, aimed motionlessly at Mai Mingle.

’My jaw is probably fractured. Waves of intense pain, like ripples in water, are making my vision blur and waver.’

’I have to hurry.’ frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

"If you attack the Dream Screenwriter, I’ll provide covering fire, and Hai Luwei will take the chance to run. If you come after me, then the Dream Screenwriter will kill Hai Luwei—right, Brother Meng?"

The bald resident froze for a second, then caught on. "Right, right. Killing a person is no big deal."

"What kind of alliance is this?" Hai Luwei sputtered from the ground, thoroughly incensed.

"If you eat Hai Luwei first—well, that would be just too convenient for us."

Fu Tailan endured the pain and let out a low laugh. "Either way, you can’t both maintain your resident status *and* successfully eat Hai Luwei. If you ask me, why not just accept your fate and turn back into a human? Doesn’t the human part of you yearn to return to its original state?"

Mai Mingle slowly stood up.

She still hadn’t moved away from Hai Luwei, her feet planted on either side of the Hunter on the ground, trapping him between them. She lowered both her heads and was silent for a few seconds before saying, "...I do yearn for it."

Fu Tailan said nothing, slowly taking out his phone with his other hand.

"I can feel it. A part of me really wants to go back to Blackmoor City... I want to get a long night’s sleep, the kind I haven’t had in years, and wake up to fry some toast and eggs and brew a cup of coffee. I want to walk through Central Park, watch people walk their dogs, and tease the babies in their strollers.

"I also want to get a few more Illusions, try them out, play with them, then sell them and experience some excitement, adventure, and money. It would be even better if I could make some Hunter friends. I’ve never used a smartphone; I want to buy the smartest one. There are so many things I want to experience..."

’I don’t know what Hai Luwei’s head is made of. He actually seems a little moved.’ "M-Mai Mingle, you really are still human..."

"But... after becoming like this, for some strange reason, a lot of information appeared in my head..."

The Dream Screenwriter nodded in deep agreement. "Yes, a resident’s knowledge comes directly from the Nest. I can’t say it’s everything, but it’s definitely a lot."

"So I know that once I turn back into a human, I’ll be bound by the expiration date of the Illusion on my body again. I can only exist for as long as it lasts..."

’Huh?’

A jolt went through Fu Tailan’s mind.

’Earlier, Hai Luwei had asked, "Is she your grandmother?" and Mai Mingle had just said she’d never used a smartphone.’

’Coupled with the fact that the Illusion on her is related to "time"... Could it be...’

Mai Mingle hung her heads, burying her two faces in her four hands as if exhausted and dejected.

"Notto mention I’d losethis powerthat’s sofar above humans who wouldbe stupid enoughto want to turn backinto a human maybe I can enterBlackmoor City in this form it’sall mine all mineall mine Fu Tailan do you thinkyou’re so smart haven’t you heard thatbrute force trumpsall tactics I’m going to kill him killhim kill him Hai Luwei isminea deadman"

Along with a startled cry, Hai Luwei was snatched up and lifted high into the night sky.

"Breaking the stalemateyoucreated is very simple very simplevery simple"

Her speaking speed was like a rapidly swelling blister that could no longer bear the pressure and had suddenly burst, yet even that was slower than the speed at which Hai Luwei was swung into the air like a weapon and thrown straight at him. The moment he heard the wind whistle, Fu Tailan knew things had gone south.

’Looks like I celebrated too soon. Mai Mingle’s IQ is good for more than just shining shoes.’

The thought had barely flashed through his mind before he turned and bolted.

Under the night sky, Hai Luwei’s long "AHHHHHH" scream didn’t come down on his head as expected. Instead, it shot off in another direction. Fu Tailan didn’t even need to look back to know that Hai Luwei had crashed headfirst into the Dream Screenwriter.

The two humanoid silhouettes piled on top of each other, just like in a cartoon, tracing a high parabola in his peripheral vision. Then, with a THUD, they smashed onto the ground together, making it tremble.

But Fu Tailan had no spare mental energy to worry about how those two were doing.

’Just as I thought. Mai Mingle figured it out too... As long as she uses Hai Luwei as a weapon to slam the Dream Screenwriter, she can keep the resident from getting up for a while *and* ensure Hai Luwei can’t run away due to the pain. The best part is, he won’t die from it, because he has the Dream Screenwriter as a meat shield. The opening created this way would be brief, but it would be enough to kill me.’

Sure enough, in the very next second, Mai Mingle’s footsteps were right behind him.

As Fu Tailan sprinted past a streetlamp, a round head appeared in the shadow cast beside his own. When it came to speed, he was no match for Mai Mingle.

There was only one way to make Mai Mingle turn back.

Fu Tailan made a sharp turn, skidding to a halt. In that instant, there wasn’t nearly enough time to voice his threat—

as if he couldn’t even see the lunging Mai Mingle, he aimed only at Hai Luwei.

The bullet grazed past Mai Mingle’s ear as the gunshot tore through the night wind.