Chapter 8: Doubting the World

Be careful... Dali?

Harry was somewhat puzzled, wondering why the python would warn him to be careful of Dali, and whether it could see that this cousin of his often bullied him.

Harry couldn't quite understand, but he felt the python's warning wasn't a problem; he indeed needed to be careful of his cousin.

Dali watched the python quickly escape the reptile pipe, triggering countless screams, then immediately turned his gaze to Harry and extended his right hand.

All right?

Ah…… no…… no problem.

Harry looked at Dali's outstretched hand, astonished and somewhat at a loss for words.

Dali would actually kindly help him up? Is this still the cousin who bullies him every day?

This made Harry feel so unreal.

Could it be that he's thinking of how to mess with me again?

This thought involuntarily flashed through Harry's mind.

This made him somewhat afraid to take Dali's hand, but thinking that refusing would make his situation even harder, Harry still grabbed Dali's outstretched hand.

Would he possibly lift his hand and fling me away?

Before Harry's thought could even flash, he felt a force transmitted from his hand, directly pulling him up from the ground.

Help, help ah ah ah……

Terrified screams came from nearby.

Harry and Dali both looked toward the direction the sound came from.

Pi Er was frantically pounding on the shop window glass at that moment; the glass that had mysteriously disappeared earlier had somehow reappeared, directly sealing Pi Er inside.

Ah…… son, what's going on, how did you end up in there……

Are there pythons? Where are the pythons, oh my god……

Pi Er's mother heard the commotion at that moment, ran over quickly, and seeing her son sealed inside the python house, she was frightened to the point of nearly fainting.

At the same time, Penny and Vernon, hearing the commotion, also ran over; seeing that Dali was unharmed, they both breathed a sigh of relief, but were also very puzzled as to how Pi Er had entered the python house's interior.

An hour later, everyone finally left the zoo.

Pi Er was greatly frightened; he couldn't even explain how he had entered the python house, and his whole spirit was somewhat dazed.

As for Dali, he firmly insisted that neither he nor Harry knew what had happened.

Regarding this, Vernon and the others didn't pursue it further, after all, as long as Dali was unharmed, that was fine.

As for the disappearing glass Pi Er mentioned, both of them suspected it had something to do with Harry, but they couldn't say it outright; they planned to give Harry a good talking-to when they got home.

After returning home, Harry behaved very well; plus today was Dali's birthday, Vernon didn't want to waste time on Harry, and since he couldn't find a suitable reason to punish Harry, he temporarily gave up the idea, planning to bring it up again in a couple of days.

Anyway, there will be plenty of opportunities to punish Harry.

A day's time quickly passed, night grew deep, and the Fonu family all fell into sleep.

In the stairwell, Harry tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

He was still thinking about what happened during the day.

Meanwhile, in Dali's bedroom, he also hadn't fallen asleep.

"Today that gypsy girl's fortune-telling, and the zoo's suddenly disappearing glass—is this place really a normal world?"

Dali thought to himself.

Many things happened today, making him involuntarily doubt the reality of this world.

He feared this was some mysterious being playing a joke on him, and that upon waking he would return to that eerie, terrifying world.

He took out the Trensost Brass Book.

This powerful sealed object looked like an old antique passed down from classical times, its appearance nothing special; even when Dali flipped through it, no strange occurrences happened.

But he knew well that this was merely the surface of the Trensost Brass Book; once this Rule Book was truly awakened, the disaster it would cause would be utterly terrifying.

"I also don't know why this sealed object came back with me through the crossing."

Dali's hand lightly brushed the surface of the Brass Book, his fingertips feeling the exquisite uneven patterns on the page.

He had some ideas; he could probably use control over the rules via this Brass Book to do some things, but such uncertainty was high, so Dali dared not try it for now.

But if he encountered some danger in this world, perhaps this Brass Book could save him.

After all, this world really seems not so normal.

"Hopefully there won't be a time when I need to use this book."

When Dali's words fell, he carefully put the Trensost Brass Book away.

Unable to sleep, he rose silently, opened the door, and prepared to go downstairs to get some water.

Walking downstairs lightly, Dali glanced into the stairwell as he passed.

He could sense Harry's presence inside, but wasn't sure whether the kid was asleep.

Without turning on the lights, Dali relied on his strong intuition to pour himself a cup of water in the dark, sat on the nearby sofa, and began sipping it.

Crack.

A crisp sound came; the stairwell door opened, and Harry walked out with a look of regret.

Even after so long, he still couldn't sleep, so he simply got up to get some water.

He had no watch, and didn't even know exactly what time it was now.

In the darkness, Harry walked toward the kettle's location relying on his memory.

Suddenly.

His face changed; he felt that not far away on the sofa, there seemed to be a dark shadow looking in his direction.

Harry broke out in a cold sweat, his face turning pale.

Could it be that thieves have broken into the house?

Still a ghost?

"Good evening, Harry."

Dali's familiar voice came over, making Harry's heart jump to his throat in an instant.

"You... you... how are you here?"

Harry spoke incoherently.

"Have a cup of water."

Dali said calmly.

"Oh... I... I also want some water."

Harry said.

In the middle of the night, not sleeping, not turning on the lights, what are you doing in the kitchen? Harry couldn't help but complain in his heart.

He was really frightened badly by Dali.

"Since you're also not sleeping, let's have a chat."

Dali said.

His voice was gentle, yet it seemed to contain an indisputable authority, making Harry unable to refuse his request.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

Harry didn't know what medicine Dali was selling in his gourd, so he could only go along with Dali's words and speak.

"The disappearing glass in the zoo today, was that you?" Dali said directly.

"I... how could that be, I also don't know what happened." Harry hurriedly said.

"Hehe." Dali chuckled, then continued: "How about making a deal? You tell me the truth, and I'll stop bullying you from now on, how about that?"

"It's a very worthwhile deal, isn't it?"

Dali's words were full of temptation, making Harry unable to help but want to voice his truest thoughts.