"Sorry to interrupt."

With the constant murmurs and gazes of countless wounded people, Duan Qing, who had walked through the courtyard where the temporary medical center belonged, walked to the side of the old mansion, and then after a period of brewing, knocked on the wooden door in front of him. A faint sound of response then sounded behind the wooden door, and at the same time there was the footsteps of someone walking towards it, and a pair of old hands then appeared between the cracks in the door, slowly pushing the dilapidated door open.

Then he saw what the guest who was meeting with the village chief and Claire described as the best example.

“……”

Looking at the figure in the black cloak sitting in the center of the room in front of him, and the white armor faintly revealing under the black cloak, Duan Qing involuntarily slowed down the pace that he wanted to enter the door just now, and finally stopped in mid-air with his stunned eyes, and the figure who also found that someone knocked on the door and broke in immediately looked back at this side, but his eyebrows were slightly wrinkled, and Duan Qing, who had been staring at him for a long time, then fell on the village chief who was sitting opposite the female warrior, Then he turned around and left without hesitation: "...... I'm sorry. ”

"I went to the wrong door."

“……”

His gaze stayed on the departing figure for a long time, and Xue Lingphantom Ice pressed down the inexplicable restlessness that was gradually rising in his heart, and then turned back to the front of him in a posture of sitting in a precarious position, and refocused his inquiring gaze on the old man who had been talking to him for a long time: "...... just now"

"What did you just see?"

Instead of the other party saying that question, the old village chief named Fabregas pointed to the gate where Duan Qing had just left: "Don't worry, tell everything you see." ”

"I ...... I saw a minotaur. Seemingly hesitating for a long time, Snow Spirit Phantom Ice said in a low voice, "A minotaur that I once saw in a dream. ”

“…… That's right, this is also the illusion set up for you by the person who used the Emerald Star. ”

Pointing to the emerald green light that gradually grew on the chest of the black-robed woman opposite, Fabregas replied slowly in an old voice, "Including those strange shadows that you mentioned and who have been walking all the way recently...... That should also be the person you see under the effect of the illusion. From what you have described before, the illusion simulated by the Emerald Heart will also distort the sounds you hear, the smells you smell, and then distort your cognition and emotions, everything you come into contact with, and the conflict between you and your surroundings will gradually expand as misunderstandings expand, and finally gradually turn you into a monster in the eyes of everyone, and the stone that unites with you will gain the power to continue to grow, and finally ...... Become a nightmare that you can't resist. ”

"It's very common in all the examples I've seen." The old man's face was still calm and kind, but the words he said were as cold as the winter days outside: "There were some strong people who deliberately took risks to gain great power, but in the end, they ...... All of them are lost in that strange curse. ”

"You ......" Xue Lingphantom Bing, who pursed her lips, was silent for a long time, and then asked again: "You are in my eyes...... Why is it normal? ”

"Because I'm strong enough." The old village chief stroked his gray beard: "It's also because of ...... I know enough about what is happening to you. ”

“…… It was also a while before I learned that there were people like you and your wife. Xue Lingphantom Ice said in a deep voice: "So I came here on purpose, hoping that a professional like you can solve the problem that happened to me......"

"Don't worry, the curse on you hasn't reached that level yet."

Standing up with his hands behind his back, Fabregas moved to the corner of the room with a slow-moving figure: "But...... The stone embedded in your body has merged with your body, and the spread of the curse is irreversible. ”

“…… Isn't there a solution? ”

"Why, not intoxicated by this powerful power?" There was a slight smile in the old man's voice: "Your current strength ...... It should be enough to match the archmage, right? ”

“…… That's why I'm now one of the wanted criminals in the Council of Mages. Xue Ling's voice dropped a little again: "And...... And ......"

"I am very sorry for everything that has happened."

Looking at the snowflakes falling outside the window in front of him, Fabregas replied lightly: "And...... Unfortunately, my wife and I don't have a good way to deal with you now. ”

“……”

"This Emerald Star on your body is not the original Emerald Star."

Looking at the woman whose hair and hood were hanging down together, Fabregas explained in a slow voice: "The Emerald Star that you have combined with seems to be the product of someone for some purpose, and it contains some mutant power that I have never seen before, and its effect is not something I can understand now. Perhaps it is precisely because of the existence of this anomaly that your soul, which should not have been deluded too deeply, has been tightly tied to this stone, and now you take it out without permission, it may be ...... There will be irreversible consequences. ”

"Worst-case scenario...... Destroying that stone will cause serious damage to your soul. Fabregas's voice took on a serious tone: "Are you willing to give up your life for the sake of this great power, adventurer?" ”

"I ......"

After all, there was still a little hesitation, Xue Ling's expression became speechless and stopped, Fabregas, who was looking at that expression, then shook his head, and turned his back again with a smile: "You go." ”

“……”

"I can't lift the curse on you, and I have no intention of stopping you from fulfilling your destiny."

In the face of the woman's silence, the old village chief's voice became much calmer: "The Emerald Star is a product formed by the collection of all elemental energy, it is the most brilliant crystallization at the end of the ancient magic empire, aside from the irresistible erosion, it itself has enough power to make any ordinary person become the strongest king on the continent now, and now it is in a dormant state, you still have enough time to adapt to the world that has not yet become a nightmare, maybe ...... In the future, you'll be able to adapt to this greatest masterpiece under the Mestrada and be the first to use this power properly. ”

“…… How likely are they to succeed? ”

"You know the answer."

The old man with his back to her replied without looking back, but a heavy aura gradually appeared in his flat words: "Don't easily believe everything in front of you, don't easily trust anyone anymore, your future will be full of lies brought to you by the Emerald Star, and ...... A false world woven by its curse. If you're unlucky, you might even meet the owner who made the stone, and then ...... You will become each other's puppets and gradually die in a lonely world with no mercy. ”

"You...... Do you understand? ”

“…… I understand. ”

Under the kind gaze of the old woman who was constantly shaking her body on the side, Xue Lingxue Bing, who stood up, bowed slightly to Fabregas, who was facing away from her, and then slowly left the place with an extremely suppressed silence. The surrounding scene also began to distort as she stepped into the street again, showing her the image of the ugly monsters that countless players and passers-by had imagined in front of her, and she seemed to be very familiar with this scene, and she ignored the howls and provocations of those "monsters", and walked towards the end of Xifengjun Street: "...... Alas. ”

Such a scenario...... No matter how powerful it is, I'm afraid it won't be able to exert it. ”

Sighing slightly, Snow Spirit Phantom Ice said to herself, and a hand stretched out from under the cloak also rested on the wall that became as hideous as an abyss in her field of vision as she gradually slowed down: "With such a powerful resident negative status, how did the alliance let it pass through and cast on the player safely?" It is a small matter if it causes mental illness...... Not. ”

As if remembering the state when she walked out of the game cabin after the battle a few days ago, she covered her chest, and her eyes gradually fell silent: "So it seems...... The battle that day was the result of my influence on that stone, that is, the man who gave me the stone at that time...... No, it's not. ”

"Since all the monsters I saw now are friendly creatures, then the Duan Qing I saw at that time should be the enemy, that person...... There are other monsters, and their words and actions are supposed to be false. She gasped slightly, and the cloak and armor on her body began to rise and fall with her mood fluctuations: "And that minotaur ......"

"The Minotaur...... Well? ”

"Minotaur...... This kind of thing...... I seem to ......"

"I've never seen it again."

The figure that had turned to leave after pushing open the door flashed in his mind, and the pupils of Xue Ling's phantom ice suddenly dilated a lot, and then the still body suddenly started again, and began to run along the street towards the surrounding of the town. The howl of the monster became clearer and clearer, and then began to fill the sound of breaking the air in her ears, accompanied by the scene of more and more distorted monsters appearing in front of her, ignoring the images of those strange monsters, she did not stop her eyes sweeping over them again and again, trying to find the target she was looking for: "Don't you leave yet...... You're not gone yet......"

"You ......"

Her footsteps stopped abruptly, and at the same time she looked at the corner of a street: "Are you ......"

"Mo Shangqingshan?"

As if it had been waiting there for a long time, the minotaur with its sturdy arms clasped in front of its chest turned around and walked out of the corner made of the pitch-black wall, and its red eyes burning with blazing fire followed by a fierce breath from its nose, and slowly landed on Snow Ling's body with a fierce breath from its nose: "......"

"I ...... I can't see your name right now! ”

Looking at the face of the minotaur who didn't give any answer, Snow Spirit Phantom Ice said urgently, "Answer me quickly!" ”

“……”

"You, why did you leave? Why don't you respond to my message? ”

“……”

"Where are you now?"

“……”

The strange confrontation scene began to appear in the corner of this street with the emergence of one question after another, and the questions belonging to the woman's side also became more and more rapid with the silent reaction of the other party's inaction, and the minotaur who claimed to be the same as King Cloma in his impression still maintained an indifferent expression, as if he had no pity for the anxious expression of the woman in front of him, until the other party who gave up the question and hung his head pantingly, he turned around and walked towards the depths of the alley behind him: "I'm going to let you go today......"

"Poor adventurer."

That's right, that's right......

Suddenly understood something in his heart, and then his gaze fell on his chest, which was emitting a glowing green light, and his trembling body slowly fell to his knees, allowing his painful sigh to float into the cold wind all over the snow along with the provocation from the monster in his ears.

**********************

"That man...... Fled? ”

At the same moment, in a high-rise building in Hualan City in the real world, a middle-aged man standing in front of a huge floor-to-ceiling window let go of a certain hot-figure woman who had been tired of being by his side, and turned to look at the two subordinates who were half-kneeling in front of him: "Before you get there?" ”

“…… Yes, the head of the house. One of the black-clad subordinates replied in a low voice, "I'm sorry, but it's ......."

"Needless to say, failure is failure." The middle-aged man frowned and waved his hand: "What kind of good news do you think Yanning will bring...... Hum! Go and get the family law, and don't come to see me again in the future. ”

"Home, my lord!" Another black-clothed subordinate hurriedly stood up: "No, I'm very sorry for not completing the mission given by the head of the family!" But this matter was originally the news brought by Chief Duan temporarily, and we were just carrying out the order, and we didn't expect the other party to notice it at all......"

“…… Temporary news? ”

"No, that's right!"

As if grasping the last straw, the man in black stood up in a panic: "On that day, when the people of the Lou family were making trouble in Area D, the chief manager led people to catch a few soldiers in the back, and then found a person named Brother Donghuang......"

"I don't like trouble, so you'd better cut it short." The middle-aged man, whose brows were furrowing more and more, raised his hand and interrupted the other party's words: "What is the result?" ”

"I, we can't tell."

Another black-clothed subordinate who was half-kneeling on the ground hurriedly stood up, and at the same time revealed the figure of a young man blocking the hall behind him: "So ......"

"This guy named Xu Liangyu claims to be able to explain all this, so we brought him over."