Illusion Report

Chapter 163: Chapter 131: The Kai Family’s Video Recording (Part 2)

Illusion Report

Only those who bring change to the world are worthy of moving forward.

Dear Contestant Westley:

We have been informed that Ms. Ashley Page will be promoted to Chief of the Blackmoor City Central Police Station this October.

The Nest sincerely thanks you for your proactive response and the decisive action you have taken in this matter.

In recognition of the change and impact you have brought about, the Nest wishes to offer a reward in the hope that it will aid you on your path forward.

Illusion Name: Extracellular Telomeres

Illusion Function: By wrapping the telomere chains around the body, the user can reverse their age, returning to the comprehensive peak of their physical, mental, and intellectual abilities.

As long as the chains remain wrapped around the body, the user will maintain this peak state, impervious to the aging effects of time.

Upon removal, the user will instantly revert to their original state plus the aging that would have naturally occurred during the time it was worn.

This Illusion will have no effect if the user has not yet reached their peak (e.g., if they are still an adolescent).

Although referred to as "chains," they are in fact biological in texture and will not rust. Feel free to bathe with them on.

Time and Location of Capture:

Starting on the 13th of each month, the "Extracellular Telomeres" may be captured within the Nest in the areas corresponding to Saint Louis Hospital, Broom Street, and the Blackmoor University Faculty of Law.

It seems to be black.

Note: The Extracellular Telomeres may change form before or after capture. If you see a non-chain-like black object moving around, please pay close attention.

Causal Impact After This Illusion Enters the Human World: The origin of everything? We don’t understand. Further details are unknown.

Usage Time Limit:

(P.S. At this point, the image within the Candle Tears is missing. For several lines of text after "Usage Time Limit," there is only a fragmented blank space, with only the following three terms visible.)

Dominance Game

Target

Favor

(P.S. After "Favor," the text becomes clear again.)

Action Points to Obtain the Next Illusion Report:

1. Replace the mayor of Blackmoor City with the Nest resident "Vulture."

If this option is completed, the probability of the "Nest Dominance Game Target Illusion" appearing in the next Illusion Report is 78% (hereafter referred to as "Target Probability").

2. Acquire the Hunter Faction Knight Families. Target Probability: 61%.

3. Find a way to move the Path. Target Probability: 95%.

Before December 1, 2026, completing any of the above actions will earn you another Illusion Report.

The number of actions completed corresponds to the number of Illusion Reports received.

The Nest wishes you smooth sailing in capturing your target and seizing the ultimate throne of the Dominance Game.

Please, be extremely careful. On the road to becoming the ruler, the closer one gets to the end, the more dangerous and difficult it becomes.

"What is this?"

Off-screen, Han Liuyue murmured in a low voice, "Something like an Illusion Report actually exists? Who wrote it, and who sent it to Westley? Can messages from the Nest be sent directly into the human world?"

"Eh, who cares who it was? It’s not like that’s the only unsolved mystery in the Nest."

Jin Xueli, on the other hand, was quite nonchalant. "The action point Westley chose to complete was the first one, right? The whole reason he wanted Vulture to enter the human world was to replace the mayor, wasn’t it?"

The camera trembled slightly.

In the footage from another camera set up on a tripod, the two could be seen simultaneously turning to glance at Vulture, who was tied to a pillar.

"So he went to all that trouble to get Vulture into the human world just to complete the first action point," Han Liuyue said under her breath. "Luckily, he died before he could finish."

"The Knight Family hasn’t been acquired yet either, right?" Jin Xueli asked.

"Not as far as I know."

Han Liuyue mused, "The third action point has the highest probability of yielding information on the Target Illusion. Westley wouldn’t have just let that go. Let’s keep watching carefully. If he really did find a way to move the Path before he died..."

She trailed off, leaving her sentence unfinished.

After a couple of seconds, Jin Xueli made a questioning sound. "Hmm? Does... Chaisi want to enter the Nest?"

"Honestly, I’m not sure. Brother Chaisi doesn’t really talk about his feelings with others."

"Having the option is better than not having it, right?"

With those words, the view in the camera darkened, half-blocked by Jin Xueli’s face filling the frame.

She waved at the lens and said with a smile, "We’ll keep looking for clues on this. After you’re done watching, you can think about how you’re going to thank me."

For once, Han Liuyue got flustered. "I’m not doing this for thanks—this is my mission—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. The moment the camera’s on, you get all serious. Who even are you right now?" Jin Xueli said as she moved away from the lens. "Let’s keep watching."

Although nearly seventy percent of the content had vanished with Westley’s death, the remaining thirty percent still constituted a massive amount of information.

The two of them periodically fast-forwarded through the history based on the information’s content. Even with the increased speed, they had to change the battery once midway through—Han Liuyue was so meticulous that the footage before and after the interruption lined up perfectly.

That minor incident at the end of April was paid no mind by Westley in the footage or by Jin Xueli and Han Liuyue outside of it. The scene where he accidentally cut his hand was fast-forwarded, flashing by in an instant.

In early May, during one of his nighttime outings, the last car in his motorcade suddenly flew sideways, slamming head-on into the back door of a building by the roadside.

"Oops, that was me," Jin Xueli said, sounding a little embarrassed as she chuckled. "I didn’t expect this part to be preserved... I really gave him a good scare."

"No idea what he went out for that night," Han Liuyue said, also skipping past a blank segment. "There’s just too much missing."

In any case, Westley seemed very satisfied with his progress toward obtaining the Target Illusion.

In September, Westley had a sudden whim to go for a night swim at home.

He had an indoor infinity pool from which one could look down upon most of Blackmoor City. When this image first appeared in the Candle Tears, both women couldn’t help but let out a gasp of amazement.

Westley had just taken off his bathrobe by the poolside and was about to get in when he suddenly remembered the vegetable and fruit juice he’d just made. He turned and went back inside to get it.

"Let’s just fast-forward through this part," Jin Xueli said with a yawn. "I’m so sleepy. It’s already past ten in the morning, and I haven’t slept at all."

"Okay, sure. I’ll speed it up a bit."

As Han Liuyue spoke, she reached out her hand, only to freeze.

Westley reemerged, holding a glass of celery juice. As if guided by some unseen force, he glanced toward the other end of the pool and froze.

He strode over, his pace so urgent that it puzzled both Han Liuyue and Jin Xueli watching from the outside.

Submerged in a corner of the pool was a long power strip.

Its cord snaked out of the pool, across the deck, and was plugged into an outlet on the exterior wall.

"Who is it?" freewebnøvel.coɱ

In his agitation, the glass slipped from Westley’s hand and shattered on the floor. "Who’s hiding here? Get out!"

At that point, the image came to an abrupt halt, reverting to a blank void.

"Didn’t the historical footage just say he was home alone tonight?" Jin Xueli asked, stunned. "...The butler was on leave, the maids were out, and his wife wasn’t back yet. Wasn’t he by himself? At least on this floor, he was. The bodyguards were downstairs, too."

Han Liuyue thought for a moment.

"Right," she said slowly. "And the side near the pool has floor-to-ceiling windows facing the bar area. If someone had been tampering with the pool, he should have seen them just now. Could that power strip have been in the water the whole time, and none of us noticed?"

"Let’s keep watching. Did he find anyone in the house?" Jin Xueli said.

Just then, Westley reappeared in the footage, speaking into his phone, "Dylan, bring a few men up. There’s a problem at the house."

The footage of the search was also missing from the Candle Tears. The two watched all the way through October, but they never found out whether he discovered anyone in the house that night.

However, even from just thirty percent of the memories, it was clear that Westley was growing increasingly frightened and paranoid. He looked so terrified it seemed he wouldn’t feel safe unless a bodyguard was holding him at all times.

"So, in the end, we still couldn’t see how he actually died,"

As the recording reached the end of the candle, Jin Xueli gave a long stretch. "I can’t take it anymore. I’m dead tired. I’ve done what Chaisi asked, so I’m going home."

"It’s certainly been a long night," Han Liuyue said, placing the camera on the ground.

The camera’s view now only showed their feet. They walked over to the fire trough, extinguished the flame, and the Candle Tears slowly receded upward, disappearing from the frame.

"Are you leaving too?" Jin Xueli asked.

"No, I’m going to stay," Han Liuyue said. "Brother Chaisi wanted to see Westley’s history, but with only thirty percent remaining, it’s not a great report to bring back. He definitely won’t be satisfied. I’m going to put more pressure on Vulture and see if I can get it to transform into Westley again."

"How much does he even pay you a month?" Jin Xueli asked, both impressed and bewildered. "Are you competing for the Kai Family’s Employee of the Month award or something?"

"You should just get going," Han Liuyue said, seemingly swallowing a lot of things she wanted to say.

"Alright, I’m off then. We’ll figure out what to do with the Candle Tears later."

As the sound of footsteps faded into the distance, the exhibition hall gradually returned to silence.

Han Liuyue didn’t pick up the handheld camera. A rustling sound filled the hall, as if she were unzipping her backpack and then opening a paper bag.

"Ah, so this really is here," she said quietly.

Vulture’s voice suddenly cut in.

"I’m telling you, I wasn’t lying."

It seemed to have fully recovered, its speech clear and fluent.

"The man is as dead as a doornail. It’s absolutely impossible for me to acquire his memories and thoughts by transforming into him, that’s the honest truth. So, uh, even if you waste more time torturing me, it’s..."

"Mm, I know."

Vulture fell silent for a few seconds. "You know? Then why are you still..." frёewebnoѵēl.com

It spoke slowly, and as it did, a question it could no longer suppress finally came out. "Putting that aside for a moment, who are you? I don’t think I’ve seen you before."

Han Liuyue’s voice sounded from off-screen.

"Who I am isn’t important. What’s important is that you’ve been near the girl who just left, and you remember her, right? Her name is Jin Xueli."

"Yes... I remember."

"Good," Han Liuyue commanded calmly. "I need you to transform into her and touch the candle."