Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Lin Yi paused slightly as he passed the dilapidated wooden table.

The three items on the table were still in their original places.

Lin Yi reached out and picked up the white candle first.

It felt warm and slightly cool to the touch, exactly the same as the one the old woman had traded before, only slightly smaller in size. The notification sound from the Paradise of Reincarnation rang in my ears.

You have obtained White Wax (which can be used to dispel the black fog for 4 hours).

You have obtained a Mystic Gem (Holy Spirit Gem).

【Secret Gem】

Origin: Watchtower Park

Quality: Holy Spirit level
Type: Gem/Item (Rare)
Effect 1: When inlaid into a weapon, the weapon's sharpness increases by 85 points. Each attack on an enemy will reduce the enemy's defense by 8% (this effect can be accumulated, up to a maximum of 30% reduction in the enemy's defense, and the effect lasts for 30 minutes).

Effect 2: Using this gem will permanently increase your True Agility attribute by 3 points.

Rating: 990 points (Saint-level items have a rating of 700-1000 points).

Description: This is a treasure of the gods.

Price: 600000 Paradise Coins
……

Lin Yi's gaze lingered on the gem's attribute description for a moment.

When socketed, it increases weapon sharpness by 85 points and reduces the enemy's defense by 8% with each attack, stacking up to 30%.

The reduction type is "adaptive defense"—meaning that shields, armor, and even the body itself can be weakened by 30% within four attacks.

This effect is truly a game-changer for melee combat.

Especially against opponents known for their defense, after four strikes, their defensive system becomes virtually non-existent.

Lin Yi looked at Su Xiao.

Su Xiao stood by the door, her gaze also falling on the gemstone.

He glanced at it, then shook his head.

Lin Yi understood what the head-shaking meant—Su Xiao didn't need it.

The Dragon Slayer is currently inlaid with four Soul-Shattering Shadow Stones, as well as several top-tier gems such as Spirit Cat, Elegy, and Moon's Radiance.

Its gem slots were already full, and each one was carefully selected to perfectly match the characteristics of the Dragon Slayer.

Replacing any of them with this Mysterious Gem would not be worthwhile.

Lin Yi carefully put away the gemstone, then looked at the short knife one last time.

The blade is about thirty centimeters long and slightly curved. The handle is made of dark wood and wrapped with fine hemp rope.

The fine forging patterns on the blade gleamed coldly in the candlelight, but apart from that, it looked like an ordinary short knife.

It could even be said to be somewhat too ordinary.

It has no energy fluctuations, no special luster, and no characteristics that can demonstrate its value.

But the moment Lin Yi saw it, an inexplicable intuition arose in his heart.

Something's wrong with this knife.

He picked up the knife.

The blade is lighter than I expected, so light that you can hardly feel its weight.

The hemp rope wrapped around the handle has a rough texture and bears the marks of time.

The notification sound from the Paradise of Reincarnation rang again, and this time Lin Yi's gaze froze slightly.

You have obtained the Executioner's Blade (Special Weapon).

[Executioner's Blade]

Origin: Void - House of Death
Equipment requirement: Willpower 75 or higher.

Equipment effect: This is a special weapon that can be used to kill 'a specific person'.

Description: Do not use this weapon in battle before finding that person, or you will die. There are no curses or similar markings on the weapon; it may break if the battle is too intense.

Price: Tradeable, can be abandoned.

Lin Yi read the attribute description twice.

It can be used to kill "a specific person".

This statement is too unusual.

Such a vague description has never appeared in the identification of the Paradise of Reincarnation.

Either it's all question marks and can't detect anything, or it can expose everything about the other person.

There is no specific name, no clue to identity, and not even any indication of race or faction; there is only "someone" enclosed in quotation marks.

But the moment Lin Yi saw this description, he already had a vague guess in his mind.

Death House.

prisoner.

chain.

A glimmer of hope.

These keywords quickly connected in his mind, ultimately leading to a conclusion.

This knife was meant to be used against Anna.

This is the material manifestation of the underlying rules of the House of Death—no matter how tight the imprisonment system is, a glimmer of hope must be left.

This is a higher-level set of rules that even Anna, the owner of the House of Death, cannot be completely exempt from.

Those beings who have been imprisoned for countless years are clearly also searching for this glimmer of hope.

The old woman's condition in that wooden house confirmed Lin Yi's guess.

Lin Yi put the execution blade into his storage space and turned to look at Tracy, who was standing at the door.

She was still wearing that white dress stained with dust and blood, and the marks left by the chains that had bound her for so long on her neck, wrists, and ankles were still clearly visible, but her whole demeanor was completely different.

The distorted feeling of chaos and madness disappeared.

Instead, there is a calm, a tranquility that comes after a long period of darkness, when light is finally seen.

When Tracy met Lin Yi's gaze, she lowered her head slightly, clasped her hands in front of her, and adopted a respectful posture like a believer facing a priest.

Lin Yi didn't say anything, but just waved to her, signaling her to follow.

Tracy followed, her footsteps so light they were almost silent.

The three left the cabin and stepped back into the area shrouded in gray fog.

Lin Yi lit the newly acquired white candle and handed it to Su Xiao.

The moment the candles were lit, the golden light spread out again, enveloping the three of them.

The swirling gray fog around them retreated to both sides as if encountering a natural enemy, making way for a clear path forward.

Those things lurking deep in the fog let out a sharp hiss and instinctively retreated.

But some did not withdraw.

They hovered at the edge of the light shield, their twisted forms slowly wriggling in the mist.

Tracy looked up at them.

As if sensing something, those things instantly retreated a great distance and disappeared into the deeper fog.

Lin Yi noticed this detail, but didn't ask any further questions.

The three continued along the path illuminated by the candlelight.

The gray fog receded steadily in the light of the white candles, and the gravel path beneath our feet stretched into the unknown distance ahead.

Occasionally, one can see the remains of some items scattered along the roadside—broken pottery jars, rusted weapons, and some unidentifiable fragments.

These are traces left by people who tried to venture into this area but ultimately failed.

After walking for about ten minutes, another wooden house appeared ahead.

This cabin is similar to the one where Tracy was trapped before, with the same dark wood planks, the same collapsed roof, and the same smell of decay.

But unlike other cabins, this one had a faint light shining through its windows, indicating that someone was inside.

Just as Lin Yi was about to walk towards the door of the cabin, Tracy suddenly stepped forward and reached out to block his way.

Her movements were subtle, but her attitude was clear—don't come near.

Lin Yi stopped and looked at her.

Tracy didn't explain, but simply put a finger to her lips as a shushing gesture.

The three of them stopped a few meters outside the wooden house, with only the faint crackling of the burning white candles around them.

Then, the sound of conversation came from inside the cabin.

The sound came through the rotten wooden planks, somewhat muffled, but clear enough to make out the content.

"how's it going?"

A deep male voice asked, his tone filled with barely concealed urgency.

"Yes, everything is ready. We're just waiting for this group to arrive."

Another voice answered, sharper than the first, with a kind of unsettling excitement.

The silence lasted for a few seconds, followed by the rattling sound of chains being dragged.

"Your chains are long enough to kill one by one," the shrill voice continued. "We have nothing to trade, nor can we obtain Shadowstone through trade."

"If we obtain the Shadow Stone..." a deep voice continued, filled with greedy anticipation.

"Of course you go first. We're brothers."

The sharp voice answered quickly, almost deliberately.

There was a moment of silence inside the cabin, followed by a suppressed chuckle.

Lin Yi and Su Xiao exchanged a glance.

The conversation between these two is very informative.

Shadowstones are hard currency in the House of the Dead and can be used to trade with the "Silent Ones" or certain prisoners for temporary release or special assistance.

Secondly, they planned to obtain the Shadow Stones by "murder".

This suggests that there is another way to obtain Shadowstone—by plundering it from those who enter the House of the Dead.

Or rather, the rules of the House of Death condone, or even encourage, this kind of looting.

Finally, the phrase "kill them one by one" indicates that they have done this more than once.

This is a hunting house.

Those who attempt to explore the House of Death and are unlucky enough to stumble upon it will become prey for the two prisoners.

Lin Yi placed his hand on the hilt of the sword.

There's no point in keeping prisoners like these who harbor malicious intent and have already acted on it. Besides, they themselves admit that they "cannot obtain Shadowstones through trade"—meaning they are poor, so poor that they can't even afford the resources to exchange for a single Shadowstone.

Negotiating with this kind of prisoner is a complete waste of time.

But just as Lin Yi was about to draw his sword and break down the door, Tracy stopped him again.

She looked at Lin Yi, her emerald green eyes carrying a hint of pleading.

Then she spoke, her voice soft but clear.

"let me."

Lin Yi looked at her.

“Such a sinful person,” Tracy said, “should not have your hands dirty.”

Her tone was calm, but Lin Yi could hear the suppressed emotions beneath that calm.

It's anger.

Tracy was imprisoned in this area for three thousand years.

For three thousand years, she had seen too many prisoners like the two in the cabin—unrepentant, unwilling to admit their sins, only thinking about how to exploit loopholes in the rules to continue committing evil.

She has killed people.

She has killed countless people. Those who died in her madness, those she tore apart with her own hands, their faces still appear in her nightmares.

But those people were killed when she lost control of herself.

The two people inside the cabin were conscious.

They planned the murders with a clear mind, waited for their prey with a clear mind, and prepared to continue committing evil with a clear mind.

This was unbearable for Tracy.

Lin Yi looked at her for two seconds, then released his hand from the hilt of the sword and nodded slightly.

Tracy took a deep breath and walked towards the door of the cabin.

Her steps were still light, but this time, that lightness carried an indescribable meaning.

Like a hunter walking toward a trap, like an executioner walking toward the execution ground.

squeak-

The wooden door was pushed open.

Tracy stood in the doorway, candlelight streaming in from behind her, casting her shadow on the opposite wooden wall.

The cabin was small, about fifteen square meters, even more rudimentary than the one where Tracy had been trapped.

The ground was compacted earth, the walls were rough wooden planks, and the roof had collapsed in several places, revealing the billowing gray fog outside.

There are two "people" inside the room.

They look like humans, but upon closer inspection, something is amiss—their skin is far too pale, as pale as a corpse that has been submerged in water for too long.

My eyes are so cloudy that I can barely see the pupils.

His clothes were tattered, and the chains wrapped around them were faintly visible.

The chains extended from their limbs and disappeared into the wooden wall behind them, just like Tracy had been.

The only difference is that their chains are still there.

And it's very long.

The chains that preceded Beatrice's were much longer.

This means they haven't killed many people.

Or rather, they haven't had time to kill too many people yet.

The two prisoners froze when they saw Tracy standing in the doorway.

Their gazes fell on Tracy, from her white dress to her long blonde hair, and then to her bare wrists and neck.

It was completely empty.

There are no chains.

There are no restrictions.

The marks of the shackles that should have been on Tracy's arms were still clearly visible, but the shackles themselves had disappeared.

The eyes of both prisoners lit up at the same time.

"Shadow Stone!" the shrill voice blurted out. "She used Shadow Stone! The effect hasn't worn off yet!"

The one with the low voice had already struggled to his feet, dragging the chain a few steps toward the door, but then stopped abruptly at the limit of the chain's length.

It stretched out its pale hands and made a grasping motion towards Tracy, its cloudy eyes filled with greedy light.

"Do you have any extra Shadow Stones?" it asked eagerly. "We can trade! Anything will do! We've been in the House of Death for so long, we know a lot of secrets!"

Tracy didn't say anything.

She simply stood at the doorway, quietly watching them.

That gaze gradually cooled the two prisoners' excitement.

They noticed something was wrong.

The chains on Tracy didn't just disappear temporarily—the shackles at the end of the chains were also gone.

The metal rings that should have been fastened around her neck, wrists, and ankles, and the shackles that were integral with the chains and could never be removed separately, had completely disappeared.

Only some dark red traces remain, proving that they once existed.

The one who made the sharp voice took a step back.

"You...how many Shadow Stones did you use?" Its voice trembled. "How is it possible...how could even the shackles..."

Tracy remained silent.

She simply lowered her head, clasped her hands together in front of her chest, and began to pray.

Her posture was devout and solemn, completely out of place with the death house shrouded in gray mist behind her, and even more so with the two twisted and greedy prisoners in front of her.

The two prisoners exchanged a glance, both sensing something was wrong.

They began to struggle backward, but the length of the chains limited their range of movement.

They could only huddle at the base of the wooden wall, staring intently at Tracy with their murky eyes.

"What are you trying to do?" the one with the lower voice shouted, his voice now devoid of the greed it had shown moments before, replaced only by fear. "We have no grudge against each other! You go your way, we'll wait for our people, and we won't interfere with each other!"

Tracy ignored her.

She continued to pray, her lips moving slightly as she uttered silent words.

That posture reminded Lin Yi of how she looked when she was trapped in that wooden house—the same kneeling posture, the same clasped hands, and the same devout expression.

But this time, there was no despair in that piety.

Only trial.

The prayer lasted for about ten seconds.

Then Tracy opened her eyes, raised her right hand, and gently pressed it towards the two prisoners.

A soft white light emanated from her palm, spreading out like ripples of water and instantly enveloping the two prisoners.

The light had no temperature, no lethality, and looked just like the most ordinary lighting spell.

But the moment they were touched by that light, both prisoners let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Their bodies began to disintegrate, turning into tiny specks of light from the edges and dissipating into the air.

The points of light drifted out and danced slowly inside the wooden house, like countless fireflies.

"Do not--!"

The one who made the shrill sound struggled desperately, flailing its hands wildly in the air, trying to grasp its dissipating selves. But it was all in vain.

Its body begins with its limbs and gradually extends towards its torso, turning into specks of light bit by bit and disappearing into the air.

The one with the lower bass is even worse.

It tried to climb toward the door, but the chains held it firmly in place, leaving it to struggle in vain.

Its lower body had completely disappeared, but its upper body was still desperately reaching forward, its cloudy eyes filled with despair and resentment.

"Why..." it uttered its last words, "We just wanted... wanted to leave this place..."

Tracy looked at it and spoke softly.

What happens after you leave?

The prisoner's body froze.

"What do you plan to do after you leave?" Tracy continued, her voice still soft. "Continue killing? Continue looting? Continue waiting for the next batch of unfortunate combatants to come to you, just like in this cabin?"

The prisoner opened his mouth, as if trying to explain, but couldn't say anything.

Because it knew that Tracy was right.

That is indeed their plan.

“You are chained here because of the sins you have committed,” Tracy said. “Three thousand years, five thousand years, or even longer—the chains will disappear as long as you are willing to repent and truly recognize your mistakes.”

Her gaze swept over the two prisoners who were about to completely vanish.

"But you don't."

“You have chosen a different path. You have turned this cabin into a hunting ground, and every participant who enters into the war as prey.”

“You have never thought of repenting.”

The two prisoners did not answer.

They were no longer able to answer.

The last fragments of the body turned into specks of light and dissipated into the air, leaving only the empty chains hanging at the base of the wooden wall as proof that they had once existed.

Silence returned to the cabin.

Tracy stood in the doorway, staring at the empty chains, and remained silent for a long time.

Then she turned around and walked back to Lin Yi's side.

Her face was even paler than before, but her eyes remained clear, unaffected by the killing just now.

“They have been purified,” Tracy said softly. “Their souls have returned to their origin and are no longer imprisoned in the House of Death.”

Lin Yi looked at her without saying a word.

Su Xiao leaned against the door frame, her gaze sweeping over the empty chains inside the room, and then over Tracy's back.

That white light just now had exceeded the limit of Su Xiao's perception.

Tracy's strength is at least at the eighth level, and possibly even higher.

As for whether there is an even higher level, that is beyond Su Xiao's current understanding.

The "helper" Lin Yi took in was more important than he had anticipated. (End of Chapter)