Chapter 261: Night of Cosmic Illusion (IV)

Jizi was still calling San Yue Qi on the other end of the phone, but the earpiece had no Huixiang.

She realized something was wrong, quickly had Dan Heng and Xing go rescue people, Yin Zhi also volunteered, and requested that Weilite come along as well.

Several people entered the room and saw a huge…… worm.

Dan Heng swiftly grabbed San Yue Qi and pulled her behind him, assuming a battle stance; Yin Zhi's eyes narrowed, her expression unusually stern: 'Ugly…… discordant tone has been drawn out. Xing, we must act to destroy it.'

These worms are not strong, but they can replicate one by one; fortunately Yin Zhi acted quickly, a single sweep shot wiped them all out.

"I didn't expect we could meet again…… True Dormant Worm." Yin Zhi said each word deliberately.

"Huh?"

"Uh… when Yin Zhi found me in the cave earlier, I was being chased by a swarm of these worms, frantically molting……" Weilite recalled with lingering fear, his face turning pale.

Yin Zhi thought she had already driven away all the True Dormant Worms, but now it seems these worms are still pursuing them. She looked at Weilite: 'Could it be… Weilite, could you have picked up the worms' pheromone?'

Weilite knew nothing of this, but Dan Heng had heard something: 'I read about True Dormant Worms in the knowledge bank. This type of worm shakes off fiber debris when it flaps its wings, causing inhalers to hallucinate.'

This is also why San Yue Qi saw another version of herself in the room.

——

Dedicate blessings to a beautiful world.

"Worms…… are too disgusting!" Watching San Yue Qi turn into a worm on the skyline, Hezhen's face turned pallid, she covered her mouth and stepped back a few paces, "Urgh——! My eyes……

Akuya was first stunned, then pointed at Hezhen and burst into hysterical laughter: "Hahaha! Hezhen! You just said a mature‑san San Yue Qi wouldn't be bad, right? Now? Now? It's a worm! A slimy worm!"

"Enough, I don't want to hear it!" Hezhen gritted her teeth, "Fortunately these worms aren't large, it's just their constant splitting property that's a bit troublesome."

"Heh heh~" A flicker of pleasure flashed in Huohuo's red pupils as she lifted her chin proudly, "Hezhen, quickly ask me why I want to learn explosion magic! Explosion magic is perfect for clearing out numerous weak monsters like these, heh~ Hezhen, want to join me in learning explosion magic?"

"If someday this world is invaded by True Dormant Worms, you'll also have some fighting power~ otherwise, what could your thief class steal against True Dormant Worms? True Dormant Worms don't have underwear for you to pilfer."

"……Please don't present your speculation as established fact." Hezhen rubbed her ears, "Besides, what's the use of your once‑a‑day explosion magic? Lugging you alone while fleeing is already exhausting."

"Besides, even if True Dormant Worms really appear in this world, letting Dakeni si draw fire would be enough~ given that guy's perverse nature, he'd probably get wrapped up and have a blast."

——

"Considering these worms' extreme reproductive strength, Dan Heng suggested first searching the train for eggs and dealing with them promptly."

"But this efficiency is too low, Pam said we can use the train's movable plot device to check any room's situation at any time. Xing, via this device, observed that in Dan Heng's room, Yin Zhi was talking to a True Dormant Worm."

But when the view switched to Yin Zhi's perspective, the creature before her was not a True Dormant Worm, but a cute being named "Wu Wu Bo."

Yin Zhi couldn't wait to start bragging, sincerely praising: "You're surely often called 'cute'—has that ever caused you trouble? Believe me, your essence cannot be captured by that word. Oh sphere, your name is——'Charm.'"

"Needless to say, encountering a life like yours moves me, but I will never therefore abandon my demand for spiritual asceticism. If I cannot resolve this crisis, I will die to vindicate knightly honor."

"Beautiful beings, are you also believers?"

San Yue Qi stared blankly at the camera: "What what what, how is he so engrossed in communicating with the worm……

No delay—everyone rushed to Dan Heng's room, wiped out the worms, and rescued Yin Zhi from the illusion. After Yin Zhi described the beautiful life she'd seen, Dan Heng speculated that this dust could make those who inhale it experience something akin to a 'personal desire.'

——

fate.

"Even being this polite to worms? You knights are really interesting……" Zuosong Xiaoxiaolang gave Saber a playful look.

"Cough… this is Yin Zhi's personal conduct; please don't generalize it to all knights!" Saber cleared her throat, blushed, lifted a cup of hot tea, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"Speaking of which, the personal desire manifested after inhaling the dust…… isn't that just like a false Holy Grail?" Weigong Shilang remarked on the side.

"…That's quite interesting." Zuosong Xiaoxiaolang chuckled lightly, "My wish is to experience a death match I never had in life—could the True Dormant Worm conjure a formidable foe for me?"

"An unconsummated death match…… imagining a duel with Jingliu? Or Jingyuan would be fine too." But Lancer spread his hands, "Still, your wish is hard to fulfill—after all, no matter what hallucination the True Dormant Worm induces, the opponent you see is only as strong as a single worm."

"Compared to you lot, I'm actually curious what hallucination Xing would see if she inhaled the dust."

"Well……" Saber thought a moment, "Probably she'd see lots of trash cans? Isn't that her favorite thing?"

——

"Such an ugly threat from the worm clan—who knows if its dying words could be taken as reference, after all 'when a worm is about to die, its words are good'……

Dan Heng wondered: "You mean the worm conveyed a message to you before breathing its last?"

"Exactly, I will relay its final words——'Revel in your superficial victory, for you will never detect the overlord's presence!'"