"Hostage"

Charlie's voice echoed through the Gloom corridor, bathed only in the Crimson Moonlight, sending chills down one's spine.

Did I dream of Suzanne Matisse again? Lumian was startled at first, then a surge of anger welled up inside him:

Are you fucking stupid? Since you had that dream again, go find Clergy at the nearest "Eternal Blazing Sun" Church! I'm not your father; you don't have to report to me about every wet dream you have!

Lumian glanced at Charlie, whose face was filled with panic and fear, suppressed his inner turmoil, and said in a deep voice, "Don't be too nervous, this is to be expected. What you need to do now is go back to sleep, and seek help at the nearest Church after dawn."

Charlie looked like he was about to cry.

"But, but, she said in my Library that if I dared to ask the Church for help, she would kill me on my way to Church!"

"You two communicated in your dreams?" Lumian asked, slightly taken aback.

Charlie nodded hastily:

"Yes, before, she never spoke in my dreams, she just warmly and gently satisfied me. But this time, she warned me! She warned me!"

Does this mean Suzanne Matisse hasn't completely become a monster and still possesses some intelligence? Lumian's thoughts raced, and he felt a pang of pity for Charlie.

If Charlie cannot obtain the help of the Official Beyonder, he will most likely end up like the three Women victims in the Onette Town, indulging in his dreams day after day until he becomes too weak to survive.

Wait a minute, are the Official Beyonder really going to handle the potential problems Charlie might face so simply? Didn't they consider the possibility that Charlie might be killed directly by Suzanne Matisse? Lumian instantly remembered Ryan, Lya, and Valentine.

None of them, when faced with similar anomalies, would so casually declare the case closed and tell the victim to seek help from the Church if they encounter problems again.

Recalling Madman upstairs encountered the Montsouris Ghosts and was subsequently taken in and protected for a long time by Church Clergy, Lumian gradually began to have some suspicions:

The Official Beyonder being in charge of Charlie's case deliberately downplayed the anomaly brought by Suzanne Matisse, allowing Charlie to return to the hotel and telling him that the matter was basically resolved and that he should seek help from the Church if there were any further problems. In order to lull Suzanne Matisse into Paralysis security and entice her to reappear!

Thinking of this, Lumian looked at Charlie and calmly spoke:

"If you believe me, go back to your room now, lie down on your bed, close your eyes, and sleep until dawn."

"Don't worry, things will be resolved."

Lumian appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he was cursing:

Damn it, get back to the fifth floor! Judging by the time, the Official Beyonder monitoring the area should have noticed something amiss and are about to take action. What are you doing standing in front of my door? Are you calling them to arrest me?

"I, I..." Charlie hesitated and looked apprehensive.

If I do nothing, will the problem really be solved?

Lumian quietly exhaled and forced a smile, saying, "Are you crazy? Suzanne Matisse only warned you not to ask the Church for help, she didn't say I couldn't. I can help you go to the nearest Church!"

Lumian is now resorting to any means necessary to coax or deceive Charlie, hoping to get him off the second floor.

Charlie's expression suddenly changed, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Thank you, thank you!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Lumian suddenly smelled the fresh scent of grass and trees, a scent tinged with a strange aroma.

The next second, he saw Vines and branches, some green and some brown, spreading across the walls, ceiling, and floor, blocking the windows and the doors to other rooms.

At the top of the stairs, a Women's voice, as if gently tickling one's eardrums, rang out:

"Charlie, are you really going to betray me?"

Charlie turned to the side in shock, his pupils dilating rapidly.

He saw the woman he had been entwined with in his dream; her green hair cascaded down from the back of her head, reaching the floor, extending to the surrounding walls and the ceiling above, where it intertwined with Vines and branches.

Without the shimmering green hair that once enveloped her, Suzanne Matisse's body was now fully exposed, mostly naked, showcasing her graceful Women curves, while smaller sections were covered with flower buds or Tree Burl, some red, some white, some green, and some brown.

The vibrant flower buds and brownish-green Tree Burl opened and closed repeatedly as Suzanne Matisse spoke, releasing a viscous liquid with a faint fishy smell.

This Distortion and disgusting scene plunged Charlie into Nightmare; he stood there frozen, only able to tremble instinctively.

Suzanne Matisse looked at Charlie, her eyes filled with affection, and said, "Have you forgotten the joy we shared in our dreams?"

"Charlie, I am your wife."

Charlie snapped out of his daze and nearly collapsed, shouting, "No! No!"

Are you stupid? Soothing Suzanne with a few words first! Lumian only regretted that she wasn't quick enough to cover Charlie's mouth.

Suzanne's expression immediately turned cold:

"Then you'll stay with me forever."

As soon as he uttered those words, the fear in Charlie's eyes vanished.

A look of infatuation and love appeared on his face, and he eagerly tried to approach the strange creature.

Meanwhile, a flower bud on Suzanne Matisse's lower abdomen opened wide, dripping wet, and did not slowly close like the other flower buds and Tree Burl.

It seemed to be waiting for Charlie's arrival.

At the same time, Suzanne looked at Lumian and said with extreme hatred, "It's all your fault! You're the one who instigated Charlie to betray me!"

"Why don't you look in the Mirror and see how terrifying and disgusting you look? If I were Charlie, I would have kicked you out of my Dream from the start!" Lumian's intuition told him that begging for mercy now would be useless, so he chose to curse Past, using his "Provocation" ability to provoke her and see if he could make Suzanne "expose" her weakness.

The mere presence of this strange creature filled Lumian with a mixture of excitement and fear, longing and resistance, as if he were caught in Whirlpool woven from various desires, creating an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

This proves that his opponent is much stronger than him!

As Lumian cursed, his mind raced, searching for a way to stall for time.

He believed that the Official Beyonder would arrive soon!

What exactly is this Monster?

Why would she consider herself Charlie's wife?

"Wife..."

Lumian suddenly had an idea, while Suzanne Matisse was enraged by his words and let out a scream.

With that scream, the Vines and branches surged wildly toward Lumian. The scream amplified the fear hidden deep within Lumian's heart, making him so terrified that he Past fainted.

His legs became weak, and his body began to tremble noticeably.

With sheer grit, Lumian managed to extend his right hand and grab Charlie, who was trying to run towards the Monster.

His left hand gripped "Fallen Mercury," pressing the Evil Dagger against Charlie's throat.

This Change left Suzanne Mattis somewhat bewildered, and she asked angrily, "What do you want to do?"

Lumian sneered, "I forgot to tell you, this Beyonder weapon of mine is called the ' Cursed Blade '."

"If anyone is cut by it and bleeds, his whole family will die because of the Curse, including his wife."

"And you are Charlie's wife!"

Based on the experiences of the Madman upstairs, Lumian suspects that the Montsouris Ghosts killed not only immediate family members, but also husbands or wives.

Although he didn't know how the Mysticism determined whether two people were husband and wife, since Suzanne Matisse herself said she was Charlie's wife, he would assume she was!

Of course, Lumian knew very well that even if he really made "Fallen Mercury" exchange the Destiny of "encountering the Montsouris Ghosts" with Charlie, the Montsouris Ghosts would not attack Charlie's "wife" Suzanne Matisse for some time, and it would not affect the current situation at all.

He was betting that Suzanne Matisse was unaware of this, and that Suzanne could see the danger hidden within the "Fallen Mercury."

This is Bluff!

Suzanne Matisse, whose body was covered with flower buds and Tree Burl, froze, and the Vines and branches that were rushing towards Lumian also stopped in mid-air.

A dangerous glint appeared in her emerald green Eyes.

Lumian's vision suddenly Change; he saw the Parish Priest Guillaume Béné, with his hooked nose and a white robe embroidered with gold thread.

The hatred he had suppressed in his heart erupted like Volcano.

Lumian released Charlie and walked towards "Guillaume Béné," whom he had targeted.

But in front of him was only Suzanne Matisse.

At that moment, Charlie, his face filled with infatuation and love, saw Lumian approaching his "wife" with Dagger. He quickly grabbed the villain and shouted, "Don't hurt her!"

Lumian suddenly regained consciousness and found that Guillaume Béné Suzanne Matisse, with flower buds and Tree Burl opening one after another!

Had she manipulated his emotions? In her astonishment, Lumian forcefully twisted her body, once again gripping Charlie and pressing "Fallen Mercury" against his throat.

Suzanne Matisse made no attempt to hide her disappointment; she hesitated for two seconds before opening her rosy lips.

Suddenly, the strange creature stopped and stared intently at the wall of the "Golden Rooster Inn" facing the Messy Street.

The next second, her long, turquoise hair quickly retracted, and the Vines and branches instantly disintegrated and disappeared.

"This... Official Beyonder has arrived?" Lumian saw Suzanne Matisse's figure disappear into the wall and vanish into the corridor.

He immediately released Charlie, shaking him to try and wake him up, and said rapidly, "Lie down at the top of the stairs on the second floor, and don't open your eyes until someone wakes you up!"

After saying that, Lumian gave Charlie a push, went back to her room, closed the Wooden Door, lay down on the bed, and pretended to be Slumber, behaving just like the other tenants.

As Suzanne left, the infatuation in Charlie's eyes faded, and when Lumian shook him violently, he finally regained his Rationality.

In the emergency, knowing nothing, he could only follow Charles's instructions, jog a few steps, reach the stairwell leading to the ground floor, lie down, close his eyes, and appear to be unconscious.

Almost simultaneously, the darkness in Charlie and Lumian's field of vision turned red, as if the Sun had risen early, bringing daylight.

A few minutes later, a golden Longsword, both solid and seemingly formed from condensed light, was planted in the ground of the Messy Street.

Its sword tip was stuck with a thick, bluish-green Vines that was twisting rapidly.

"Is it resolved?" a young man with Sun Sacred Emblem pinned to his chest asked the swordsman.

He was a rugged man with Blond Hair, golden eyebrows, and Golden beard, wearing a brown overcoat with two rows of Golden Button.

He sighed and said, "This time it's resolved, but if we can't find the place where this Evil Spirit was born, it won't be long before it reforms there."