Dreamscape and the Truth

"Phoenix, Hundred Refined Steel..."

Lin Yu pondered the two names, feeling somewhat surprised.

"I thought that given Carrot's character, he wouldn't have any enemies."

Old Zheng let out a laugh that was difficult to decipher.

"Hahaha, you're so wrong... The 'Death game' isn't something where you can just be kind and everyone will get along."

Lin Yu stroked his chin.

"It sounds like you know some kind of secret."

A rapid flash of insight occurred in Old Zheng's mind.

"It's not exactly a secret. Simply put, in a massive Survival Instance with 25 Player Count, Carrot was the sole survivor."

"Including the members of the 'Player Mutual Aid Society' who entered the Instance with him, all the other twenty-four people died."

"Carrot himself felt very guilty, claiming it was all his responsibility—although most people chose not to pursue the matter, some still couldn't accept this fact."

"Two of Hundred Refined Steel's closest friends and key members of the 'Mountain Sea Society' perished inside, while Huang... lost her lover."

"Since then, Hundred Refined Steel, as the 'Order' Administrator, has rarely interacted with the 'Player Mutual Aid Society,' a positive organization."

"And Phoenix... she did attempt to attack Carrot directly, but she failed."

Hearing Old Zheng's words, Lin Yu nodded slightly.

He recalled Grandpa Radish's behavior several times when mentioning the past in [The Heavenly Feast Above]... which seemed to match what Old Zheng had said.

If the gap is indeed of this level, it is certainly enough to constitute a motive for murder.

Although a year has passed...

But hatred is always the most difficult emotion to extinguish in the world. Even if you tell yourself countless times that you want to let go and forgive, it is like mold on spoiled food. You peel off the surface layer, and it will grow back in a few days.

To be fair, Lin Yu put himself in Lin Yu's shoes.

If a year later, there's a perfect opportunity to get rid of Fluoxetine, I'll definitely do it.

Certainly...

This situation exists only in theory.

Lin Yu didn't intend to let Fluoxetine live for more than a year—given his current Tier Advancement speed, he could try to take action once he reached the Tier 3 himself.

"But it's still a bit strange. Hundred Refined Steel is one thing... but if Phoenix and Carrot have such a deep grudge, why would Carrot dare to come?"

Lin Yu had another question.

Old Zheng explained to Lin Yu, "Because the circle of high-level Player... to put it bluntly, is just a handful of people."

"Back then, my Tier 3 rankings were less than three digits; now... I'd probably only have a little over a hundred."

"The more powerful and organized groups usually have connections with each other. If you're worried about running into enemies, then you don't need to participate in any activities."

"Besides... Carrot brought those two from their organization, Lotus and Cassia Seed, specifically to guard against this kind of thing."

Old Zheng spoke eloquently.

Lin Yu nodded. "It seems we still need to keep a close eye on these two tomorrow."

Stiller, stroking his chin, said, "Based on the information we have so far, I think it's less likely that 'Phoenix' is the murderer."

Lin Yu yawned. "Why? Didn't this guy even lay a hand on me once?"

"But she failed," Stiller said Leng Jing. "Motives are secondary. She failed even when the victims were likely not on guard against her. This time, as the 'organizer,' she's definitely being watched even more closely."

"To commit the perfect crime is extremely difficult."

Lin Yu nodded as he listened to Stiller's analysis.

That makes sense.

Upon hearing Lin Yu's approval, Stiller was about to offer a few more words of analysis when he suddenly fell silent.

Lin Yu had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Pitch black.

Cold.

Lin Yu got up and found himself on a desolate and dark plain.

He was only wrapped in tattered white linen, and the biting cold felt like fine needles pricking the thinnest parts of his skin.

My feet sank into the rough ground, the black sand drifting backward with the slight breeze.

"Where is this? Is it another Instance that erases Memory?"

Lin Yu shook his head, quickly ruling out this possibility.

"No... my Memory is very coherent, I must have fallen asleep."

So, was this a lucid dream?

He looked around and soon spotted a light in the darkness.

A light, like fireflies, flickered in the distance.

Lin Yu hesitated for a moment, then chose to walk towards the direction of the firelight.

He felt a distinct pain in the soles of his feet; it almost didn't feel like a dream.

Lin Yu winced in pain.

"Why won't he wake up?"

Sensing the abnormality of this "dream," Lin Yu did not hesitate despite the pain. Enduring the pain, he slowly approached the source of the light.

It was a lantern hanging at the entrance of the wooden house, swaying gently, dim yet warm.

The door to the wooden house was ajar. Lin Yu stepped onto the steps of the wooden house and pushed open the somewhat dilapidated wooden door.

Behind the wooden door, Lin Yu saw a simply furnished little house.

Animal head specimens, fireplace, bronze candlesticks, single bed, round table and two chairs.

It resembles a hunter's mountain hut.

At that moment, a black-haired man wearing a ghost mask and completely wrapped in a cloak sat in one of the chairs, facing the door.

He was fiddling with a stack of purplish-black cards in his hand.

The man looked up at Lin Yu and said in a low voice, "Welcome, guest."

Lin Yu narrowed his eyes as he looked at the masked man in front of him.

"Player... is this your [Item]? The ability to pull people into Entering Dream is quite powerful."

His thoughts raced.

The Carrot died without any external injuries; it died in its Dreamscape.

A curse-like power is involved in his soul.

So...

"Are you the murderer who killed the Carrot?"

As Lin Yu spoke, the other person chuckled.

"Don't get too caught up in or focus too much on the case at hand... I'm not the murderer."

"I can indeed weave and Entering Dream, but I don't have the ability to kill someone within a dream."

Lin Yu frowned upon hearing the other person's words.

The other person was wearing a ghost mask, and he didn't know whether what this mysterious fellow was saying was true or false.

But before Lin Yu could probe further, the other party continued to speak.

"However, if you really care about the Truth, I can give you some hints—provided you play a Game with me."

"Although I am not the murderer, I am an 'Accomplice' of the murderer."

As they spoke, they flashed a golden card in their hand.

"What do you think, guest?"

Lin Yu glanced at the pretentious fellow and scanned the card in his hand.

There are only ten cards in total, so they're probably not Playing Cards.

Okay, I accept.