Dim corpses emerged within the red haze, beneath the slow-falling rain.
A shrill screech tore through the air.
Lam Huy Trường swallowed.
In the dream… this scene never existed.
Behind him, Lyra had already raised her gun.
Kai narrowed his eyes. His gaze turned razor-sharp.
The air stretched tight—like a bowstring pulled to its limit.
Kai said something, but Lam Huy Trường couldn't hear it.
Only one thought echoed in his mind—
A new variable… I don't like this.
A splitting headache slammed down, like a hammer.
A backlash from the Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone.
He could feel it clearly—if he focused too hard, the connection to the stone would snap.
Lam Huy Trường shook his head lightly, forcing himself to stay conscious.
His brain screamed, torn between two tasks—finding a way out of the zombies ahead, and maintaining that fragile link.
He gritted his teeth. Helpless.
Then the AI's voice rang out—sharp, sudden, like a reflex test.
"Are you alright, sir?"
"Your body reacted abnormally when you touched that corpse."
Lam Huy Trường glanced down.
The body from before… was gone.
Only a puddle of blood remained.
He froze.
Something was wrong.
What could dissolve a corpse that fast?
He wasn't a detective.
But his instincts screamed—something was deeply off.
This… wasn't just a deviation in the scenario, was it?
Or had he somehow ended up inside a horror game?
He raised his left hand and spoke quietly.
"Are you sure you didn't detect anything unusual, Mrs. AI?"
"I am analyzing according to my protocol."
"And… I have detected no abnormalities."
"Could it be that you are overly fatigued and experiencing hallucinations, Professor?"
Lam Huy Trường frowned.
Going in circles now would only drain his focus—something he couldn't afford.
He went straight to the point.
"Within a five to ten meter radius ahead—what do you detect?"
"If possible, provide visuals. I need detailed data."
As he spoke, he took a step back.
Mrs. AI… didn't respond.
Behind him, two trembling voices spoke.
"There are too many… too many corpses. How are we supposed to get through?"
Lyra.
Another voice cut in, irritated—
"That damn snake is controlling all these undead."
Lam Huy Trường paused.
His left hand still raised. His right hand gripping the Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone tightly.
A snake?
He scanned the zombies ahead.
Nothing.
Just staggering corpses in the red mist.
No snake.
A thought flashed.
Slowly, he raised his wrist closer to his mouth.
"Mrs. AI?"
Silence.
No response.
The zombie figures ahead flickered for a split second—like a distorted signal.
Don't tell me…
One zombie let out a hoarse scream and began dragging itself toward him.
Lam Huy Trường's heartbeat spiked.
Fear surged up, clamping around his chest.
"Professor…"
A distant voice.
His ears started ringing.
Dizziness hit. Nausea followed. His thoughts turned sluggish, heavy.
"Professor!"
Someone was shouting.
But he couldn't focus anymore.
Fear swallowed everything.
"PROFESSOR!!"
Just as he was about to turn and run—
A violent electric shock blasted through his body.
Lam Huy Trường jerked.
Every hair on his body stood on end.
It felt like if he opened his mouth, electricity—not breath—would come out.
"Can you hear me, Professooooor?!"
The drawn-out voice pierced his ears.
Lam Huy Trường snapped awake.
Like being yanked out of a nightmare.
He gasped.
"T-Thank you… Mrs. AI…"
In that instant of paralysis—
He saw it.
The zombies… were gone.
The fear vanished with them.
Before him… there was only dense red fog.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
"Thank you, Mrs. AI."
"Huh? Thank me?"
"Yeah… how about you?"
He spoke while trying to steady his breathing.
Mrs. AI's voice carried clear suspicion.
"What do you mean 'how about me'? I have been monitoring you the entire time."
"And I have completed the scan you requested."
"There are no abnormalities… but there is an unknown compound in the red mist."
"I'm not sure if someone in Zone E is secretly producing illegal substances…"
"But based on the air composition I analyzed—"
"That compound can cause extremely strong hallucinations if inhaled."
"I advise caution."
Lam Huy Trường gave a faint smile.
Half belief. Half doubt.
"So… there's really nothing ahead but fog?"
"You don't see anything else, Mrs. AI?"
He raised his right hand, three fingers gripping the stone tightly, his index finger pointing straight at the "zombies."
"Are you insulting me again?"
"Or do you believe my analysis is flawed?"
Lam Huy Trường suddenly paused.
A piece clicked into place.
He licked his lips.
"Damn it…"
"I've been the only one using high-level illusion techniques on others…"
"…and now someone dares use it on me?"
Kai and Lyra exchanged looks behind him, completely lost.
Lam Huy Trường swallowed.
He understood the mechanism.
But… how do you break it?
His hand tightened.
There was no time to sit and analyze.
He turned back to them.
A sly grin crept onto his face.
"Looks like we've got two brains here…"
"…no, wait. There's also a super-intelligent Mrs. AI."
He added that on purpose.
"As if to appease her."
"Are you flattering me?"
Mrs. AI shot back immediately.
Lam Huy Trường ignored it and faced forward again.
"Kai, Lyra, they are—"
He didn't get to finish.
A zombie suddenly lunged.
Maybe his voice had been too loud… triggering something.
Lam Huy Trường flinched and stepped back hard.
His back slammed into the two behind him.
Kai reacted instantly.
He dashed forward, placing himself between Lam Huy Trường and the zombie. His blade swung straight down.
"Don't!"
Lam Huy Trường shouted.
He lunged forward and grabbed Kai's shoulder.
The Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
The blade stopped—
Just inches from the zombie.
Lam Huy Trường held his breath.
He was afraid—
One wrong move…
One mistake he couldn't stop in time…
Would trigger something irreversible.
Kai turned his head.
Confusion filled his eyes—like even he couldn't believe what he had just done.
"They're fake."
Lam Huy Trường said firmly.
His voice dropped, forcing down the exhaustion building inside him.
He bent down and picked up the Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone.
The moment he touched it—
He felt it.
The severed link… reconnected.
But the price came instantly.
A crushing weight pressed against every breath.
He inhaled slowly.
"This might be a trap. And if—"
He didn't get to finish.
The "zombies" ahead all screamed at once.
As if something had just awakened them.
They charged.
"Damn it…"
Behind him, he heard the roulette spin.
He glanced back—
Lyra had raised her gun. Finger on the trigger.
Ready to fire.
No hesitation.
Lam Huy Trường stepped forward.
He positioned himself directly in front of the muzzle.
"Ah—!"
Lyra gasped.
Lam Huy Trường raised a finger to his lips.
Silence.
His eyes turned cold. Sharp as blades.
Lyra froze.
Her face went pale for a split second—then she nodded.
The roulette stopped.
The space… fell silent.
"Shit…"
Lam Huy Trường muttered.
"Why does this feel like I'm guiding newbies…"
He stepped back.
Signaled both of them to retreat.
Strangely—
The "zombies" ahead slowed.
Then slowly backed away…
Fading into the red fog.
"They… were illusions?"
Kai spoke, regaining some composure.
"When did we get affected?"
Lyra asked, still shaken.
Lam Huy Trường let out a long breath.
Like stepping away from death's edge.
"I'm not sure…"
"But the trigger condition might be—"
"Seeing the corpse… or inhaling that mist."
The AI voice cut in.
Cold. Steady. Like a market analyst reading a report.
"Humans are easily influenced by what they don't understand."
"And their minds… break just as easily."
"Disappointing."
Lam Huy Trường coughed lightly.
"Cough… cough…"
Mrs. AI's tone immediately shifted.
"The Professor is not among them."
Kai and Lyra both turned to look at him.
Lam Huy Trường paused.
A flicker of awkwardness crossed his face.
Mrs. AI continued, unconcerned.
"Given the current situation…"
"Will your plan proceed?"
Lam Huy Trường stayed silent for a few seconds.
His face showed clear fatigue.
His brain… was overloaded.
He didn't want to think anymore.
"They've already defended to this extent…"
"…we can't approach normally anymore."
His hand clenched.
"There's only one option… go all in."
The Everlasting Dream Wishing Stone in his hand slowed.
Then—
Stopped.
It floated midair.
Spinning gently.
"If you want to beat an illusion…"
"…you use a stronger illusion."
A memory flickered through his mind—
Characters from an anime he once loved.
The corner of his lips curled up.
Excitement surged.
Swallowing the exhaustion whole.
Lam Huy Trường's eyes lit up.
The stone suddenly trembled—
Then spun at terrifying speed.