Chapter Thirty-Eight: Lu Yuan’s Childhood

At ten o'clock in the evening, Lu Yuan entered the Phantom Dream World right on schedule.

The first thing he did upon waking up on the soft bed was to check the television for any new tasks or requirements. Today, however, the television was deathly silent.

Lu Yuan stepped out of the bedroom and into the living room.

Zhuo Yan was eating. On the cozy dining table sat a platter of food that looked and smelled exquisite. She elegantly speared a piece of meat with her fork and slowly brought it to her lips.

No one would ever guess that Zhuo Yan was a phantom; her every move was so lifelike that there was no discernible difference from a human.

The only thing that slightly marred the aesthetic of the meal was the meat on the platter. If Lu Yuan’s eyes didn’t deceive him, the meat was raw. As the fork pierced the flesh, thin trickles of blood squeezed out from the tender red muscle fibers and dripped onto the plate.

Eating raw meat...

Lu Yuan showed no signs of fear. He walked over to the table and sat down. Zhuo Yan ignored him, focusing intently on enjoying her feast. For some reason, Lu Yuan suddenly felt a pang of hunger himself. Yet, he could not bring himself to eat raw meat, so he simply waited in silence.

Half an hour later, Zhuo Yan finished everything on the plate, even licking the remaining blood clean.

"I saw Zhuang Dong," Lu Yuan said softly.

Zhuo Yan’s movements paused. Hatred surged uncontrollably in her eyes, and wisps of black mist began to emanate from her body. "I am dead, and he is still living just fine."

Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered. "If you want to drag him in here, I can help you."

Zhuo Yan suppressed her hatred slightly and looked at Lu Yuan with undisguised contempt. "Do you have the guts to kill?"

It was phrased as a question, but it was pure mockery.

She was right. Lu Yuan didn't dare to kill. He was a living human; if he were to kill someone and evidence were found, it would lead to grave trouble.

Lu Yuan straightened his expression, his tone turning slightly impatient. "If you could drag him here by yourself without me, I wouldn't be saying a word. But since you can't, then let’s talk properly."

Zhuo Yan was stunned. She was taken aback; it was rare for a living person to dare speak to her like this.

"You are dead. You are a phantom of this world; you have no way to interfere with reality. You must understand, I am the only one who can help you!" Lu Yuan tapped his fingers on the table.

He was willing to cooperate with Zhuo Yan, but if she maintained this attitude, there was no reason for him to work with her—it would only be a source of constant irritation.

Zhuo Yan’s eyes flickered. After a moment of silence, her tone became much more measured. "The only way for Zhuang Dong to enter this place is if he is dead."

Though she didn't know how Lu Yuan managed to enter the Phantom Dream World as a living human, he was an exception, an anomaly. Zhuang Dong could not replicate the method Lu Yuan used; the only way was to make Zhuang Dong die.

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment and looked toward the bathroom. "Since I was dragged in by An Shi, perhaps An Shi has a way."

To put it bluntly, both Lu Yuan and Zhuo Yan were novices in the Phantom Dream World. Lu Yuan was a beginner player, while Zhuo Yan was a beginner NPC. When it came to understanding this world, the two of them combined couldn't compare to An Shi.

Zhuo Yan agreed that Lu Yuan had a point. Besides, since An Shi was in their hands, they could ask questions when they were in the mood, or use him as a punching bag when they were not.

Zhuo Yan picked up her knife and fork and headed toward the bathroom.

At that moment, it dawned on Lu Yuan what he was missing. His weapon—the fruit knife!

"Where is my knife?" Lu Yuan was bewildered. He ran to the kitchen to search, but there was no sign of it.

Just as he assumed Zhuo Yan had taken it, a line of blood-red text appeared before his eyes: [Gauss’s Fruit Knife: Usable (Durability: Slightly worn.)]

Lu Yuan reached out and tapped the text. Suddenly, his hand felt heavy as the fruit knife materialized in his palm.

Lu Yuan was stunned. The television had a built-in inventory function? That was incredible! It would make many things much more convenient in the future.

However, he stared at the words in the parentheses and fell into deep thought.

"Slightly worn. A familiar description. Does this mean the knife can break if used too much?" Lu Yuan examined the blade closely and discovered several tiny nicks along the edge. They were so faint they were barely visible.

"So, it really can break." Lu Yuan understood now.

It made sense; things wearing out or even breaking after prolonged use was standard.

Lu Yuan didn't delay any longer, as the sounds of An Shi’s screams—each one more miserable than the last—were already echoing from the bathroom.

Inside, Zhuo Yan wasn't rushing to interrogate him. Instead, she was using her knife and fork to vent her rage and hatred on An Shi. She had kept her resentment well-contained, but the mention of Zhuang Dong’s name had ignited an uncontrollable fury and murderous intent within her.

Lu Yuan shook his head and stood to the side.

A long time later, Zhuo Yan let out a long breath, her demeanor relaxing significantly. She wiped the blood that had splattered onto her. "Are you going to ask, or should I?"

Lu Yuan thought for a moment. "You ask."

As a living human, he didn't hold much intimidation over a phantom. Moreover, An Shi harbored a grudge against him, so he might not tell the truth. Zhuo Yan was different. After several days of frantic torture, An Shi had become much more compliant. While Lu Yuan couldn't do much to him, Zhuo Yan certainly could. If she were pushed to the edge, she might actually kill him.

Zhuo Yan stepped over the scattered gore, drove a fork into An Shi’s head, and pried it so that his face was forced to look at her. "I have a few questions for you."

An Shi’s body was already bloated from being soaked in water; from the wounds, it wasn't blood that flowed out, but foul-smelling water. His two swollen eyeballs bulged, as if they might pop out of their sockets at any second.

"How do you drag a living person into this world? You should be very familiar with this," Zhuo Yan asked coldly.

An Shi’s pale, swollen lips trembled, as if he lacked the strength even to speak. "There... is... no... way."

No way? The hatred Zhuo Yan had barely suppressed began to flare up again.

Lu Yuan quickly stopped her, fearing she might accidentally kill An Shi. "How did you drag me in back then?"

Zhuo Yan glared at Lu Yuan, but he ignored her.

Hearing Lu Yuan’s voice, An Shi rolled his eyes, his bloated pupils staring fixedly at him. "Even... without me... you... would have entered this place sooner or later."

"When you were... very young... you had already entered... here. You even... spent some time here. It’s just... you forgot."

Lu Yuan froze.

He had been here when he was a child? He had absolutely no memory of it!