by N. Heller
However...
"How did she know who am I?" Lin Sanjiu locked her brows in confusion. Every [eBay] user had their own pseudonym, and hers was "Meatball Peach." The nickname was auto-generated by [eBay], so they couldn't change it once it had been generated. By all accounts, it was impossible that Peppy Lil' Sesame knew her true identity.
"Nope, she didn't know who you were," Bohemia's answer stunned her again, "She just came to me and asked if I had a feud with a person named Lin Sanjiu. She told me that you were probably in the Salvation of God—"
"Then you came." Lin Sanjiu said with a long face.
"Why wouldn't I? I bet you would have done the same thing if you were me," Bohemia snarled, rising from the ground, "I have lost a quarter of Higher Consciousness. I can't afford to lose so much even though I am a growth type myself. Besides, after you went off the grid, Nüwa and Magus never showed up in Astral Plane again. This is the first clue I've had after so long."
"Magus has not shown up in Astral Plane yet?"
Lin Sanjiu's expression changed. When she was going to press forward, she saw Bohemia waved her hand. An ear-numbing buzz burst forth from the space as if the air particles had been torn apart. Then, the air began to swirl, picking up the yellow sand and forming a powerful wind barrier around them.
The wind cut sharply through the night sky above the wind barrier. Its howl reminded Lin Sanjiu of the hum of an opera singer.
Shrouding herself in the [Defense Forcefield], Lin Sanjiu decided to leave the talking to later. Holding the [Mosaic Censorship] and a [White Towel]—the last divine power level 6 she had—in her hands, she lunged at Bohemia as the wind barrier appeared.
Bohemia was unfazed by her sudden hostility, standing staunchly in the heart of the storm. The moonlight and the sand had blurred her figure. The wind was strong, but it could only stop Lin Sanjiu for a few moments. After she had regained her momentum and darted in at full speed, Bohemia suddenly opened her mouth.
There was no sound coming out from her mouth, yet the strong gale that surrounded them began to answer to her call, dancing along in an undulating tone and melodies that slowly turned into human language. The gentle but sharp wind and the human words resonated through the night sky, "... All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream!"
Lin Sanjiu's vision blurred for a second. And when her eyesight returned, she found Bohemia was still standing not far away from her, in a similar position. Her second sight kicked in. She did not charge in; instead, she threw the towel ahead, acting as a probing attack.
Thoroughly soaked in the divine power and Lin Sanjiu's strength, the towel flew towards its target with great speed. However, before it could reach the figure, it suddenly lost all of its momenta and fluttered to the ground.
The storm stopped the moment the towel touched the ground. The dust floated in the air, and the night was quiet, but the figure of Bohemia was nowhere in sight in the vast desert.
Lin Sanjiu looked around, stupefied, too overwhelmed to be able to react to the change. She tried to move forward and did with some difficulty. One of her steps felt so heavy that it was as if she was pulling herself through a swamp while another felt so light as if she was hopping on top of the cloud. She called out the [Battle Item] into her hand, but she did not have the slightest clue of what item she should imitate.
Although there was nothing in this empty desert that could disrupt her vision, she couldn't find Bohemia anywhere. Suddenly, her concentration slipped, and she stumbled, falling face first into the sand.
However, she felt no pain. And when she rose from the ground, she froze.
The moonlight cast a silver outline on the few broken houses outside. She was laying on a mattress with Ji Shanqing sleeping next to her. In the distance was Deun, his figure as large as a hill rising and falling with every breath he took. Her grand prize was sleeping soundly, muttering something in his slumber as he wrapped his arms tightly around a soft pillow.
"So it was all just a dream," the scales immediately fell from her eyes. She grabbed a pillow and fell with a plop.
[Wandering Minstrel]
All the verses and content of the poem will become a scene, a story, and the hostile target will be pulled into the phantasm created. If the target had been previously a literature enthusiast or had been locked in an illusion before, then the effect would be doubled. The scenes realized will be lifelike and difficult to discern. However, it's important to note that not every verse in a poem will do the job. Once you have found a verse that works, be sure to recite it well.
Condition to note: Poetic translation is one of the most challenging problems that has ever existed. Hence, no matter what kind of verse is recited, only the recitation of the original will work.
From Lin Sanjiu's perspective, she was now lying on a mattress, but that wasn't the case in Bohemia's eyes.
The storm had indeed subsided. As the dust settled down on the sand below, Bohemia revealed herself. It seemed that she hadn't moved an inch at all the entire time, standing in the same pose from the start until the end. She lifted her hand and gathered a lock of hair behind her ear. The chain of bracelets that dangled from her arm released a soothing jingle into the air.
She looked ahead to see Lin Sanjiu. The latter's eyelids were half closed; her eyes looked as if they would close and that she would fall asleep anytime. She was empty-handed, her toes slogged along the sand as she trudged towards Bohemia.
"That's right," Bohemia chuckled. She undid a straw-braided bracelet and laid it in her hand. She waited until Lin Sanjiu was close enough and tied the bracelet gently around the latter's neck. Just like putting a collar on a dog, she tied the knot very tightly but not tight enough to harm her neck.
After Bohemia had finished everything, only then did she heave a sigh of relief. She wiped the sweat that oozed from her forehead and measured Lin Sanjiu from her head to her toe. Then, she turned around to check her surroundings.
"Luckily, we have come to a desert," she muttered.
There were hardly any resources in the desert. Hence, it wasn't an ideal place for those Inhuman to survive. Since there weren't any Inhuman here, it went without saying that the gods would not favor over this place. Even so, Bohemia's fluttering heart still couldn't find any peace. Her face was full of fear and anxiety.
"It's too dangerous, it's too dangerous," she muttered again and again, but rather than saying that she was comforting herself, it was more likely that she was cheering herself up. Bohemia then took the straw cage that dangled on her waist out and pulled an earthworm out from it. Darting her eyes in between the worm and Lin Sanjiu, she finally decided as she said through gritted teeth, "Damn it! Let's do it! It's now or never!"
It was apparent that what she wanted to do was very dangerous. She sat on the sand in a lotus position and dragged Lin Sanjiu to sit down beside her. Then, she looked around before placing the earthworm on the sand. The earthworm's body color was very close to the color of the sand. It instantly blended with the sand. The only thing that left on the ground was the thickening sandhill that soon to engulfed them.
[A Benevolent Earthworm]
As the doomsday had arrived, how many people had had this thought when they were struggling for life?
"How nice it would be if I could hide underneath the ground, away from troubles, away from danger, away from everything, and fall into a deep sleep. I will wait in my slumber until the doomsday is over, only then I will come out from the ground."
This seemingly fanciful dream had finally been realized by this small, kind, and helpful earthworm.
After you have sat on the ground, put the earthworm on the ground. Then, the worm will immediately draw a circle around you. After it finishes its given job, the people inside the loop will sink hundreds of meters underground and fall into a deep slumber. It's the best way to escape from the chaos world and pursuit, don't you think so?
I beg your pardon, what was that? Pressure, oxygen, and water?
S
top being such a killjoy. In short, I promise you will come out alive in 30 days. But if you wait more than 30 days, you will have to be responsible for your own life.
Sitting inside the mound created by the earthworm, Bohemia and Lin Sanjiu sunk, and the sand quickly flooded until it was at their knees and t.h.i.g.hs. She grabbed the straw rope tightly, whispering into Lin Sanjiu's ears, ashen-faced, "Let's go to Astral Plane."
Chapter 529 - Prison Break 1
Expect the unexpected. Life is full of wonderful things waiting to surprise you.
Sitting on the ground, Lin Sanjiu's mind was befuddled, feeling all at sea. She couldn't understand why or how she ended up in here.
She shifted her gaze to her hand, unable to accept the current situation she was in. A few hours ago, she thought that she had to try to enter the Astral Plane even if her School of Higher Consciousness still wasn't in its highest form, even if she had to force through it. Nevertheless, never once did she ever imagine that after she'd awakened from her dream about being separated from her grand prize and clashing with Bohemia, she would be in the Astral Plane.
"How did I get in here? Is there any possibility that I can enter the Astral Plane as I wish?"
"Mrs. Manas," Lin Sanjiu hollered out Mrs. Manas in her mind, but she received no reply from the latter. Confused, she raised her head.
The room was ill-lit, and there were two filthy straw mats laid on the ground before her. In the center of the concrete between the two straw mats were these lines of description: Three-Legged Prison Break. Welcome to the Alcatraz Penitentiary. The player's goal is to escape from this penal institution. There will be two players in a group, and both players must maintain physical contact when passing through a checkpoint. Failing to do so will result in both players being sent back to the cell, or starting point, and the whole game will be restarted. The game continues until both players have completely escaped from Alcatraz.
This was the game she entered with J7.
Lin Sanjiu's heart seized, and she knew her grand prize had hit the jackpot again. She then called out to the dark in a low voice, "J7—"
A calm voice suddenly came from behind her, as soon as her voice was raised into the air, "I'm here."
Jerking up, Lin Sanjiu hastily turned around. From the shadow of the corner of the room, a mechanical being—complex yet majestically built—was walking out of it. The stapler-like body part turned to Lin Sanjiu in a whirl, and as the light bulb on top of that part blinked for a few times, J7's sound rang out, "... You have returned."
"Yeah, I'm back," Lin Sanjiu sighed. At the thought of J7 being locked in this filthy, claustrophobic cell, a pulse of guilt spread across her c.h.e.s.t. When she walked forward, attempting to explain herself, J7 turned his 'head' away, avoiding her gaze and walking past her, "Well, glad to see you're back. I can finally get the hell out of here."
"Hey, J7. Hey, dude, hey, listen to me. I was pulled out from the Astral Plane by somebody outside last time, so it's not my fault," Lin Sanjiu explained, following closely behind J7, "Besides, I thought you would be kicked out by the game since it requires two players to clear the game…"
"Okay," J7 replied calmly. It continued to move towards the exit.
Lin Sanjiu dimly felt its attitude towards her had changed, but it had been so long she couldn't remember it very well. She tried to read from its expression; however, the Eternal Warrior had no human face, so her attempt was not effective at all.
"You know, my Higher Consciousness is still pretty weak so no matter how hard I tried, I have never succeeded in entering the Astral Plane…"
J7 suddenly halted its advance. With its "feet," which were, in fact, a pair of flexible and convenient pedrail wheels, it had no difficulties in maneuvering itself, "Then, what's your level now? Have you reached the highest level already?"
"... No, I still have a long way to go," Lin Sanjiu answered reluctantly.
"So how did you get in here?"
"About that… I have no idea…"
The bulb on top of J7's head flashed in quick succession for a few times, as if it was expressing an emotion. However, it said nothing at last. Extending a machinery part from its body, J7 pointed at the door, talking calmly, "I guess we should prioritize clearing this game. Let's focus our mind on how to get out from here."
The more indifferent it was, the more Lin Sanjiu felt guilty. As if she was atoning for her sin, she made the initiative and said, eager to help, "Leave this door for me. Let me break it down—"
Suddenly, the front part of the slender mechanical arm opened, then a metal claw with a few nimble fingers twitched around in the air. It clawed at the door and yanked it free, pulling the massive block of metal opened with a loud screech.
After that, the stapler-like head part turned to Lin Sanjiu. Facing her stupefied gaze, J7 said indifferently, "... I have already pried it open."
"Then, why have you stayed in here?"
The moment the question escaped her lips, she realized how stupid she was to ask such a question.
"It's a three-legged prison break!" J7 boomed. Its voice went up several decibels as if it couldn't contain its anger anymore, "Do you really think I didn't try to leave? I was sent back here whenever I tried to walk out from this cell, every single time! I have been trapped in this loop for half a year!"
Standing stock-still, Lin Sanjiu lowered her head dejectedly as she didn't know what to say. She only lifted her head when J7 paused its outburst. Extending her hand to hold J7's mechanical arm, she said, "... It's all my fault. Shall we leave now?"
However, J7 wasn't done talking. It grabbed Lin Sanjiu's hand with its metal claw and continued to direct a torrent of abuse at her, "You humans are all liars! You never live up to your promises! You told me that you didn't know how to exit from the Astral Plane and asked for my help. Then, you're gone in two twos, leaving me trapped here for six months. I have already given up hope, and I even had made up my mind to spend the rest of my life here, in this sordid, Lilliputian cell, alone… Liar. I'll never believe you ever again."
Then, it stopped. Lin Sanjiu waited for a moment until she was confident that it had finished its outburst, then only she began to spoke, with a guilt-laden voice, "I didn't mean to lie… I'm sorry, for putting you through so much."
"Fabulist," J7 remonstrated, refused to change its opinion on Lin Sanjiu's personality, "You said that you still haven't raised your Higher Consciousness to the highest level and yet here you are with me again. You must be lying to me."
Lin Sanjiu sighed, for she did not know how to explain for herself. When she was going to consult Mrs. Manas, the latter talked first, "... You were brought here by Bohemia."
Stunned, all of the colors were gone from Lin Sanjiu's face.
"... That wasn't a dream?" She soon saw the light, "Am I really… separated from my grand prize?"
"Yeah. Bohemia used her ability to put an illusion into your mind, making you dream-drunk. Then, she latched a Special Item to your neck and pulled you into the Astral Plane," Mrs. Manas suspired, "But I have no idea where she's now."
"In other words, my real body is now lying somewhere unconscious in Salvation Of God without anybody at my side?" Lin Sanjiu leaped up; her face turned ugly. Without waiting for a reply from Mrs. Manas, she pulled J7, "Come on, we gotta move."
"What's wrong?"
"It's a long story, but it has something to do with how I got in here this time—"
"Hold it right there. Are you trying to say that this time you came in the Astral Plane wasn't out of your own conscience, but forced by somebody again?" Asked J7 suspiciously.
Its question stumped lin Sanjiu. She thought it carefully, and she couldn't utter a sound. Even though it was the truth, such thing as being forced in and out of Astral Plane several times by somebody sounded just like an excuse made up of a person who lacked imagination.
Be that as it may, the most important thing to do now was to escape from the prison. And the silver lining was that both Lin
Sanjiu and J7 were able to reach a consensus on this matter. Hand in hand, the metal claw, and the human hand opened the door wider, and they both stepped into the hallway stealthily. They tried to make their move as silent as possible, for the situation they faced now was very grave.
If the cell they previously stayed in was gloomy, then it was completely dark in the hallway. Both of them stood by the door, squinting their eyes very hard as they tried to see through the impregnable darkness. Since they couldn't register anything amongst the black, neither of them moved. J7 then whispered, "Hold a sec. Let me turn on the bulb."
"You're just like a Swiss Army knife. It's so convenient." Lin Sanjiu couldn't help and praised it for its versatility. She vaguely remembered the J7 was equipped with lighting. Upon hearing what she had said, J7 turned its metallic face to her. Lin Sanjiu didn't know why, but she had a hunch that it was staring at her. She had no idea which words she said had rubbed the biorobot the wrong way, and she decided to keep silent.
As the beam of white light spread out into the darkness, Lin Sanjiu finally had a more unobstructed view of their current location.
She at long last saw the reason why Alcatraz Penitentiary was a maximum security prison.
"Quick! Get back to the cell!"
"What the hell was that?!" Lin Sanjiu cursed aloud, her heart fluttering madly like a caged bird.
She had had the full view of the entire prison, albeit a fleeting glance. The Alcatraz Penitentiary was a cylindrical building, with a hollow center and multiple levels of cells built around it. Each gap between the levels was equipped with a heavy machine gun. It seemed that whenever there was movement from a cell, all of the machine guns on that layer would point their muzzle and concentrate their firepower to blitz the target.
"What happens if we get hit by those guns?" She turned around and asked J7.