Illusion Report

Chapter 170: Chapter 138: Fu Tailan: Lying in Wait Is Also a Technical Job

’Those two... they really walked into one hell of a place.’

Fu Tailan was thoroughly displeased. Standing under the dim, yellow bulb in the foyer, he let out a silent sigh.

If he’d had a choice, he wouldn’t have walked into this apartment building looking for trouble either.

Based on the current intel, the Illusion on Mai Mingle was, without a doubt, the one Westley had commissioned the Morgan Family to find. In other words, it was very likely one of the seven targets of the Nest Dominance Game.

Even if it wasn’t one of the seven targets, Fu Tailan felt he’d better get his hands on it.

By the time Mai Mingle had fled, she still hadn’t successfully joined the "Nest Dominance Game." If she truly intended to join, then that Illusion absolutely could not be left in her hands. After all, a Mai Mingle who had reverted to an old woman could hardly be considered a competitor anymore. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Although her power had plummeted since she was no longer a resident, when it came to competitors, the fewer the better.

’Faced with an old woman, maybe the Nest’s recruitment invitation will be revoked?’

With that in mind, he had no choice but to follow them in, even knowing the danger. This apartment building was surprisingly honest, making no effort to hide the perils within. They were written out in plain sight on the notice posted outside the door.

Standing inside the foyer, Fu Tailan had only to think back for a moment, and the notice reappeared clearly in his mind’s eye.

NOTICE

In response to resident demand, this apartment building will undergo internal renovations and remodeling, beginning at 1:30 AM on November 19, 2026.

The scope of the renovations will cover floors 1-5. The 6th floor will remain in its original state for the time being.

During the renovation period, it is inevitable that some things within the building will come loose and regain their freedom. Dangerous zones of unknown type and content will also form on the renovated floors. This may be unfriendly to those who do not yet wish to die, so please try to understand while you stay alive.

The renovations will continue until 1:30 AM on November 20, 2026. The scope of work does not include the stairwells.

The elevator cannot be used during the renovation period.

Trust us, you won’t want to use the elevator anyway.

After all, part of the reason for these renovations is to stop residents from successively disappearing after using a non-existent elevator.

If any residents who lack the ability to see the future, or are unable to alter reality with the benefit of hindsight, have carelessly entered before the posting time of this notice, then we must ask you to please wait patiently until the renovations are complete before leaving.

(This notice was posted at 1:30 AM on November 19, 2026.)

For residents who have not yet entered the apartment, we suggest you find lodging elsewhere. For the sorrowful residents too poor to go anywhere else, please be as careful as possible, mind your safety, and do not forget logic and common sense. For example, do not follow suspicious individuals and disappear into a dark garbage chute.

Because this building has no garbage chute.

For the sake of a more comfortable living environment in the future, the management office sincerely thanks you for your cooperation and apologizes for the inconvenience and risk of death you must endure.

’What kind of luck is this?’ Fu Tailan couldn’t help but grumble to himself.

Mai Mingle and Hai Luwei must have thought this apartment building was a safe, long-term hideout, which is why they came straight here without hesitation. But judging by the timing, the renovation notice was posted right as they entered, trapping them both inside.

The timing was too perfect. It was as if the apartment building had opened its mouth and was waiting just for them.

Before deciding to follow the pair inside, Fu Tailan finally remembered he had a team stationed back in the Nest. He figured he should probably let them know first.

"Boss, don’t the renovations end on the 20th? We’re about to wrap things up here. We can head out to meet you soon."

After he explained the situation, Remy’s voice came over the long-range radio, her advice tinged with a lack of hope.

"When we get there, we can just wait outside. If she comes out alive, she’ll fall right into our hands. If she dies in the building, we can wait until the renovation period is over to go in and find the Illusion. That might be safer."

"Going in after it’s over won’t be any safer than going in now," Fu Tailan replied. At the time, he had been sitting under the notice, setting up a signal transmitter.

Based on his understanding of the Nest, whenever words signifying change like "remodeling" or "construction" appeared, it never led to anything good.

’This hideout might become completely unusable in the future.’

"Besides, it’s only... hmm, only 4:30 in the morning."

Fu Tailan said lazily, glancing at his phone.

"Waiting outside for over twenty hours will attract all sorts of things... and after we’ve endured those twenty-plus hours, we’ll still have to go in and risk it all anyway. Sooner or later, we have to—"

He stopped, unable to stifle a long yawn.

Remy paused, then asked, "...Boss, what’s wrong?"

"It’s nothing. I got a little injured earlier. It hurts like hell to yawn," Fu Tailan said, rubbing his eyes.

Longzhen probably never imagined that even though she stopped Fu Tailan from bringing cigarettes into the Nest, he would, unable to bear the pain, down five painkillers in one go.

Now the drugs were kicking in. Not just his mind, but his very bones felt loose and scattered, as if each wanted to drift out of his body in a different direction. freeweɓnovel.cøm

And the result? His jaw still hurt quite a bit, but his mind felt like it was shrouded in gauze. ’This world is such a good liar.’

In his five years as a Hunter, Fu Tailan had forgotten who it was that once said if he just got serious, stayed clean, and applied himself, he could become a far more terrifying Hunter than he was now.

He couldn’t say what kind of Hunter he could become, but if he had to stay clean and live seriously, Fu Tailan didn’t think he would have even made it to seventeen.

"Boss, you’re not going in alone just because you think waiting is too boring, are you?" Remy suddenly asked.

"What? Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m a professional."

This time, Remy’s silence lasted a few seconds longer than before.

"I really don’t get you," she said with a sudden, long sigh. "Personal safety is the number one priority for us, something we’d practically tattoo on our foreheads. But for you, it seems like... just a nice bonus. No, more like something you could take or leave."

"You’re flattering me. I’m blushing."

Remy suddenly burst out laughing. "Who’s flattering you! Forget it. I’ve been working with you for over half a year; I’m almost used to it. Boss, if you’re going in, then go in. Just be careful. Don’t die."

She thought for a moment, then added, "If even you die in there, I’m not sure I’ll be able to retrieve your body. And if the Nest gains a new resident born from you... then everyone else might as well just retire early."

The few Hunters behind Remy seemed to have overheard the conversation and grew uneasy. Fu Tailan pretended not to hear, hanging up the radio as she turned to calm them.

He never really thought anyone would actually stop him from going in.

Remy was sharp. She knew his perfectly reasonable explanation was just an excuse. But she’d guessed wrong. He wasn’t going into the apartment building alone because he was afraid of being bored.

Fu Tailan didn’t like being alone with himself.

When he was alone, he either had to be not entirely sober or had to be doing something.

He pushed himself to his feet, gave the notice one last glance, and pushed open the apartment building’s main door.

Inside the main door was a very narrow foyer.

A single, dim yellow bulb dangled in the foyer. The light, looking as if it only had one breath left, hung limply in midair. Its incomplete glow cast countless grim shadows into the corners of the building.

The building’s interior was a standard rectangle. Upon entering the foyer, a short flight of steps on the left led up to the first-floor apartments.

Looking up the steps, he could see a row of dark brown wooden apartment doors, one after another, all shut tight, standing in the dim, gloomy hallway.

To the right of the foyer was a row of old metal mailboxes. On a blank patch of wall next to them, a piece of paper was crookedly taped up. Someone had written on it:

Welcome to the elevator :D

No, I mean, you HAVE to use this elevator, LOVE

XOXOXO

’...Even if someone wanted to take the elevator, how would they even use it?’

Fu Tailan made a mental note not to go near that blank wall.

He turned his head to look. At the other end of the foyer, almost directly opposite the main entrance, was a staircase leading to the second floor.

The explosion earlier had been on the third floor. Judging by the scale, it hadn’t been too severe, and no uncontrollable fire had broken out afterward. The two of them were probably still alive.

’So, I should hurry to the third floor, right?’

’Hmm... but there’s still plenty of time.’

Mai Mingle and her companion must have also discovered that this apartment was no longer safe. There was probably more than just one copy of the notice at the entrance; those already inside the building should be aware of the situation.

In the Nest, some traps, scripts, and rule domains liked to cloak themselves in a skin of fairness, reason, and logic, operating according to a set pattern. It seemed this apartment building was one of them. Since the notice mentioned a "management office," it was more reasonable to assume it would ensure all "residents" received the notice.

In that case, the reason Mai Mingle and her partner were on the third floor was also clear.

They must have realized the same thing he had: the sixth floor of this building should be a safe zone.

At least, until further rule changes were announced, the sixth floor was safe.

"This apartment building is truly devious..." Fu Tailan muttered, then looked around and decided to head for the stairwell first.

’The twenty-four-hour confinement period must have been deliberately designed, right?’

Over such a long period, it’s hard for anyone to stay constantly on edge. Everyone needs a safe place to rest and recuperate, even temporarily.

This meant that anyone who came in would try to get to the sixth floor.

And running from the first floor to the sixth meant they would have to experience all the dangers from floors one through five. Whether they could even reach the edge of the safe zone alive was another question entirely.

Even if someone managed to escape to the sixth floor and hide in the safe zone until the renovation period ended, they would still have to come back down, floor by floor, to get out. By then, there would probably be a whole new set of deadly tricks waiting for them.

’No wonder they put the safe zone on the sixth floor... No, I should say, no wonder they set up a safe zone at all.’

Only by having a distant "sanctuary" could you expose people to the maximum amount of danger.

’But even knowing that, what can be done?’

This move by the apartment building was an open conspiracy.

Mai Mingle and Hai Luwei didn’t seem stupid. But even if they figured this out, wouldn’t they still have to climb up, floor by floor?

’In that case...’

Fu Tailan thought, ’I’ll just go up to the sixth floor and wait for them.’