The missing pages of the dictionary made it impossible for them to fully decipher the correct text. Shen Lin asked, “Do any of you know about Princess Louise?”

The others nodded. Although it was a secret, the incident had caused such a stir that many in the noble circles knew about it.

Brian slapped his forehead and said, “I almost forgot, I’m still a noble. I went to a damn noble academy.”

Freud: “But here we’re living like beggars.”

Everyone fell silent, lamenting their miserable reality.

KP: “You mentioned Princess Louise. Roll for inspiration.”

Shen Lin rolled and succeeded.

In that moment, he suddenly remembered something. He had once heard his godfather mention that ten years ago, Princess Louise was engaged to the eldest son of the Harrison family. The wedding was to take place when the princess turned 16.

Unfortunately, the eldest son of the Harrison family died of a sudden illness. Not long after, the princess also died in the midst of a terrifying sacrificial ritual, among the irises.

Shen Lin: “Ten years ago, because a sacrificial offering went missing, the ritual failed. The eldest son of the Harrison family—Dylan’s brother—died suddenly, and the princess also died shortly after during the ritual.”

Nana asked, “Were they worshipping the same deity?”

KP: “Roll for inspiration again.”

Brian’s whole body broke out in goosebumps. “Oh no, oh no. I have a bad feeling something terrible is about to happen.”

Shen Lin rolled.

Success.

KP: “First, a sanity check. Success means you lose 0 points, failure means you lose 1-6.”

“What the hell! 1-6?!” Brian shouted.

Freud’s fingers trembled as he adjusted his glasses. His voice shook uncontrollably. “I remember there’s a rule that if you lose 5 or more sanity points, you’ll fall into temporary insanity?”

KP: “Yes, but before falling into temporary insanity, you need to make a willpower check to see if you can comprehend the sudden realization.”

“1-6… If you roll a 5 or 6, you might go insane.”

“What are the symptoms of temporary insanity?”

“Hmm…” KP said leisurely, “Random symptoms. Roll a 10-sided die, and the number that comes up will determine your madness symptom. For example, 1 is amnesia, 2 is pseudo disability, 3 is violent tendencies, 4 is paranoia, 5 is interpersonal dependency, 6 is fainting, 7 is avoidance behavior, 8 is hysteria, 9 is phobia, and 10 is mania.”

Everyone: “…………” Damn, that all sounds terrifying.

KP smiled kindly. “Let me explain in more detail. For example, pseudo disability means you believe you have a physical defect, such as blindness, deafness, or missing limbs. Interpersonal dependency means you develop a severe dependence on someone you’ve interacted with.” His gaze drifted meaningfully toward Yan Xiuyi. “You’ll believe they’re your lover, feel a strong possessive desire for them, and even crave a physical relationship.”

“Oh ho.”

“Could it be anyone?”

“Yes,” KP said. “It’s not limited to players. NPCs are also possible.”

“Is there any specific rule about who it could be?”

The magician-like paper figure’s face twisted into a sinister grin, full of malice. “Depends on my mood.”

Everyone: “………………” Damn, we really shouldn’t mess with KP.

Shen Lin remained silent for a moment, then asked, “How long does temporary insanity last?”

“Not long, just 1-10.”

“Up to ten days?!” Everyone was horrified. “In ten days, we’ll be reduced to ashes.”

“So, good luck,” KP said with a smile, looking at Shen Lin.

The dice appeared before Shen Lin’s eyes. He rolled.

Sanity check failed.

He rolled again for the loss.

6 points.

Everyone: “!!!!”

Shen Lin asked, “Willpower check?”

KP: “Yes, please roll. Let me explain in detail. If you pass this sanity check, it means you can comprehend what’s happening, and you’ll fall into madness. If you fail, it means you can’t understand what’s happening, and your brain’s defense mechanism will make you ignore these incomprehensible things.”

Shen Lin rolled. 89 points. Failure.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Brian: “That scared the hell out of me.”

Shen Lin’s mind was in chaos. A childhood memory flooded in, distant and blurry, like the morning fog, thin yet obscuring his vision.

A recurring nightmare from his childhood resurfaced—

He heard the sound of dogs barking.

He pushed open the door.

Thick smoke filled every corner.

He saw a handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes being torn apart by something intangible in the room. He didn’t know what those things were, but in the dim light, he could see shadows of black mist trailing behind them, like tails.

They all pounced on the man, densely packed, like blood vessels or bones intertwined and stacked on the black mist, with no solid form. Long, soft tongues like bee stingers pierced the man’s skin, sucking out all his fluids. He quickly withered, and the seemingly soft yet sharp claws beneath the black mist tore through his flesh, pulling out his organs. Blood and murky entrails spilled onto the floor.

The man wasn’t completely dead yet. He weakly looked at Shen Lin, his emerald-green eyes filled with a dim light. With his last ounce of strength, he mouthed to Shen Lin, “Run—”

He stopped breathing.

—The black, formless scourge swept through the corridor filled with terrifying illusions, obscure and endless, bringing my destruction.

He heard the low chanting of a bard, deep like the dusk before a storm.

He clearly heard the loud thumping of his own heart against his chest.

“Orion? Orion?” Freud’s soft call pulled Shen Lin out of this dark, horrifying memory.

Shen Lin gasped for air, taking a moment to recover before saying, “It’s a miracle I didn’t go insane.” He was about to recount this memory to the others when he suddenly thought of something and asked KP, “If I tell them, will they lose sanity?”

KP smiled. “Yes, dear.”

Shen Lin: “…”

After a moment of thought, Shen Lin said, “I saw the final moments of a handsome man with blonde hair and blue eyes. I won’t describe the details, or you might lose sanity. I think that man was Dylan’s brother. Does anyone know his name?”

Freud said, “Wesley Harrison. How did you see his final moments?”

“I don’t know,” Shen Lin said. “It felt like a recurring nightmare from my childhood.”

“Holy crap!” The others were completely shocked.

“It’s very possible that I actually witnessed that scene back then,” Shen Lin said, sweat dripping from his forehead. “That’s why it became a childhood nightmare. But before this, I never remembered it.”

“Then…” Nana asked, puzzled, “how did you see that scene?”

“Maybe we visited the Harrison family. Aren’t we all nobles? Don’t nobles often host those… what are they called?” Brian scratched his chin. “Tea parties?”

“Blonde hair and blue eyes…” Shen Lin murmured softly.

Freud, hearing his murmur, broke out in goosebumps. “…No way?” He thought of a possibility.

Shen Lin remained silent.

KP said, “Roll for inspiration again.”

Everyone: “??? Again?”

KP: “Yes.”

Shen Lin rolled, but this time he failed.

KP sighed regretfully. “I really wanted to move the plot forward.”

Everyone knew what he meant: You just wanted to see someone lose sanity.

The discussion temporarily came to an end. They shared what they had seen and heard that day. Just then, there was a sudden knock at the door.

Everyone tensed. Brian lowered his voice and asked nervously, “Should we pretend no one’s home?”

“The lights are on inside,” Freud rolled his eyes.

Brian: “…”

Shen Lin said, “Brian, roll for perception.”

Brian: “Oh! KP, I’m rolling for perception.”

He rolled and succeeded.

Brian hid behind the window and peered out through the blurry glass.

Outside stood a middle-aged woman wearing an apron. She was tall and thin, with slightly protruding cheekbones and a stern expression. She was holding something in her hand.

Behind her stood Layla, holding a basket of flowers with a few unsold lilies still inside.

Brian reported the visitors’ situation to Shen Lin and the others.

Shen Lin asked through the door, “Who is it?”

Layla’s clear voice came from outside. “It’s Mrs. Fornier. This house used to belong to her.”

Everyone: “…”

Shen Lin glanced back at them. The others quickly found places to hide. Shen Lin stood obediently in front of Mrs. Fornier, letting her cold, stern gaze scrutinize him.

Shen Lin said, “I’m sorry, Mrs. Fornier. We really had nowhere else to go. Things have been very chaotic outside recently.”

Mrs. Fornier’s gaze shifted from Shen Lin’s face to the pool of blood on the floor. Her expression grew even more severe. “Why are you living here? Aren’t you afraid?”

Shen Lin was taken aback. He looked at Layla, who gave him a meaningful look. Shen Lin vaguely understood something.

KP: “I suggest not using charm. This lady’s willpower is very high.”

Shen Lin glared at him. “Might as well make Moonfall Village full of descendants?”

KP: “…”

Shen Lin said, “Mrs. Fornier, are you referring to this pool of blood?”

Mrs. Fornier’s gaze was sharp, reminding Shen Lin of his high school math teacher. She was also a strict, serious middle-aged woman who rarely smiled. Teachers like her weren’t usually popular with students, and Shen Lin hadn’t liked her either—until one day, he happened to see her picking up her kindergarten-aged daughter. He saw her soft, maternal side.

Her seriousness and dedication to her career, combined with her warmth and love at home, made her a good teacher and a good mother.

Shen Lin didn’t know Mrs. Fornier well enough yet. Aside from charm, his only other high skill was listening. If he tried to persuade her, he might fail. So he decided to use observation to physically persuade her.

“First, roll for perception,” Shen Lin said.

He rolled and succeeded.

In the next moment, under Mrs. Fornier’s stern gaze, Shen Lin noticed a hint of sadness. He quickly found the direction for persuasion. “I’m not afraid, because this is the blood of a fellow countryman.”

Mrs. Fornier looked at Shen Lin in shock. Her stern expression gradually softened, revealing a fragile vulnerability.

Layla sighed and said to Shen Lin, “Mrs. Fornier is here to mourn her child. The one who died here was her son.”

Author’s Note:
The black, formless scourge swept through the corridor filled with terrifying illusions, obscure and endless, bringing my destruction.
—H.P. Lovecraft, The Hound.