Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The Fog Guardian leaned back in his chair, his gaze passing over Lin Yi and landing on the churning gray fog outside the door, as if looking at a very, very distant place.

"So you think that something that could kill her would be something I left for you?"

Lin Yi paused for a second, then shook his head.

If it wasn't left by the Fog Guardian, then the origin of this knife is quite clear.

That old woman.

The Keeper of the Mist looked at Lin Yi and continued, "As for this knife, you should be able to guess what it's for. One of the rules of the House of Death is that no matter how tight the imprisonment system is, there must always be a glimmer of hope. This is a higher-level rule, and even Anna cannot be completely exempt from it."

"This knife is the embodiment of Anna's last glimmer of hope."

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "But you must understand, this isn't something you're actually going to use. Its purpose is to give those prisoners hope—even just a glimmer—so that they can maintain their sanity in endless imprisonment and not go completely insane."

“If they knew that as long as they found the right person and got the knife, they could potentially kill Anna, then they would keep waiting and waiting until that ‘right person’ appeared. In the meantime, they wouldn’t go completely insane and become those monsters who only know how to kill.”

"So this knife is actually a shackle that Anna put on herself, and also the last glimmer of hope she left for those prisoners."

The Fog Guardian looked at Lin Yi with a complex expression in his eyes.

"Do you understand? This thing isn't meant to kill Anna. It's a reminder to Anna, and to everyone who knows it exists—the owner of the House of Death isn't invincible."

Lin Yi was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

He got it.

The true significance of this execution blade is not that it is a weapon, but that it serves as a warning.

It tells Anna that although you are strong, you are not invincible; and it tells the prisoners that although you are imprisoned, you are not without hope forever.

This is a balance, a balance more cruel than mere imprisonment.

Lin Yi looked at the short knife in his hand, then at the Fog Guardian.

"This knife...it can't be destroyed?"

Upon hearing this, the Fog Guardian wore a meaningful smile.

“It can’t be destroyed,” he said. “At least I can’t destroy it. You can try, but it won’t make any difference.”

The Keeper of the Mist saw through his thoughts and continued, "This thing wasn't forged by any one person; it was generated by the House of Death. Even if you break it now, it won't be long before a new execution blade appears somewhere in the House of Death. It might be in that old woman's wooden hut, under the feet of some prisoner, or behind the door you just came through."

"Its purpose is not to fight."

“Look at this knife. Is it sharp enough? No. Is it tough enough? No. It can’t even last a decent fight. It might break if you use too much force. But it was never meant for fighting.”

"It is used to maintain balance."

The Fog Guardian leaned back in his chair, his dark red eyes fixed on Lin Yi with a profound look in them.

Do you know about Devil's Castle?

Lin Yi nodded.

Alice is a woman who does whatever she wants. When she's happy, she can release any prisoner, and when she's unhappy, she can throw the most innocent combatants into the most dangerous areas.

She recklessly broke the rules, deciding who would win, who would live, and who would die based on her own preferences.

“That Alice is what happens when there’s no executioner’s blade to restrain her,” the Mist Keeper said. “For most people, she’s too powerful inside the Demon Castle, so powerful that nothing can restrain her. So she can do whatever she wants and play however she wants.”

“But Anna is different.”

"In the Death House, let every prisoner know of its existence, let every prisoner believe that—as long as the right person gets the knife, it may be possible to kill her."

"This is not foolishness, this is courage."

"With this knife hanging over her head, she has to constantly remind herself: I am the master of the Death House, and my duty is to maintain fairness, not to decide everything according to my own preferences. Although those prisoners are trapped here, as long as they have hope, they will not go completely insane."

The fog guardian paused, his tone becoming somewhat somber.

"So you see, this knife wasn't actually meant to kill her. It was meant to help her."

Lin Yi remained silent, processing this information.

"It's no coincidence that you were able to get this knife."

Lin Yi raised his head.

"You should have already seen that hunchbacked old woman."

Lin Yi nodded.

"Even earlier, she was a competitor for the title of owner of the House of Death."

This information caused Lin Yi's gaze to freeze slightly.

competitor.

In other words, the hunchbacked old woman whose mouth was sewn shut had once fought with Anna for ownership of the House of Death.

“She lost,” the Keeper of the Fog said, his tone as flat as stating a fact. “She lost decisively.”

“After her defeat, Martha was stripped of most of her privileges and became the ‘silent one’ she is today. But she has never given up.”

Why did she give you this knife? Why do you think so?

Lin Yi remained silent and did not speak.

But he already had the answer in his heart.

Martha knew that he and Anna had a close relationship.

For Martha, this in itself is an opportunity.

If Lin Yi has any inappropriate thoughts about Anna, such as wanting to use the knife for something, then Martha's attempt will be a success—even if Lin Yi fails, she will not suffer any loss.

Anyway, she's already been stripped of most of her privileges, and she's already in this state, how much worse can she get?
But what if Lin Yi succeeds?
Masa really hit the jackpot.

The Fog Guardian, seeing Lin Yi's expression, knew that he had figured it out.

“That old woman is very cunning.” The Mistkeeper’s tone was tinged with helplessness. “She led you to that wooden house, let you see Tracy, and let you get this knife. Every step was calculated.”

“Normally, you and that Law Destroyer kid shouldn’t have run into each other so soon. The rules of the House of Death are to disperse the participants into different areas so that they can explore on their own and face their own trials. But you still ran into him after you’ve been walking for so long.”

The fog guardian paused, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

"That's because I took action."

Lin Yi looked at him.

“I can roughly guess what Martha is planning. She wants that Law Destroyer kid to act with you and make him part of your decision-making process. That way, if you do have any ideas, that Law Destroyer kid might be able to play a role by being there.”

“But no matter what she wants to do, I’m going to get involved.”

The Mistkeeper's tone hardened, and a glint flashed in his dark red eyes.

"Even if that old woman wants to prepare eight cold dishes and eight hot dishes for herself, I'll overturn her stall."

Lin Yi remained silent, quickly processing this information in his mind.

Martha and the Keeper of the Mist, these two "old men" of the House of the Dead, clearly have a deep grudge against each other.

A delicate balance was maintained between them.

Martha was trying to achieve something through Lin Yi, but the Mist Keeper intervened to prevent her plan from going too smoothly.

But in the end, Lin Yi still managed to get his hands on the knife.

“That old woman herself actually tried to get her hands on this knife,” the Mist Keeper suddenly said, his tone tinged with sarcasm. “After she lost the competition with Anna back then, she did think of other ways. She studied this knife for a long time and tried all sorts of methods to get her own.”

But it didn't work.

The fog guardian shook his head.

"This thing is like something that's out of reach but unattainable. It's right there, everyone can see it, but she just can't get it. She tried getting the other fighters to steal it for her, tried trading with the prisoners with all sorts of things, tried looking for loopholes in the rules of the House of Death, but she never succeeded."

"On the contrary, it is the players who come to the House of Death to participate in the game who are more likely to get this thing."

The guardian of the fog's gaze fell upon Lin Yi.

Why do you think that is?

Lin Yi paused for a second, then said, "Because this knife was never intended for the residents of the Death House."

The fog guardian nodded.

“That’s right. The execution blade is meant to restrain the master of the House of Death. Who can judge whether Anna has fairly maintained the game of death? Who can know whether she has abused her power? Only you participants.”

“You came, you experienced it, you know whether she did the right thing or not. If one day she really goes against her mission and really starts to act recklessly, then the only ones who can restrain her are you participants.”

"Therefore, this knife will only appear in the hands of those who participate in the war."

The fog guardian paused, his tone becoming somewhat somber.

"As for using it to kill Anna and get a reward? Don't even think about it."

Lin Yi looked at him.

“Even if someone does kill Anna with this knife, they won’t be able to leave the Death House. Killing the owner of the Death House without cause is a violation of all the rules of the Death House. Those prisoners, those beings who have been suppressed by Anna for countless years, will tear that person to pieces in an instant.”

"not to mention--"

A faint smile appeared on the lips of the Fog Guardian.

“Anna was never just a passive observer.”

These words caused Lin Yi's gaze to freeze slightly.

“She was actually participating in the death game,” the Fogkeeper said. “She was also at risk of losing her life. Every time a participant came in, every time someone walked up to her, it was a test for her.”

"When you gave her the Shadow Stone before, if you had already come into contact with the Executioner's Blade at that time, you would have noticed that the blade's durability dropped by three points."

Lin Yi's pupils contracted slightly.

“That’s right.” The Mist Keeper looked at him, his tone as calm as if he were talking about something very ordinary. “The durability of the Executioner’s Blade is like Anna’s progress bar in controlling the House of Death. Every point it drops means she has a deeper grasp on the House of Death. When the durability drops to zero, the blade will disappear completely.” “At that time, Anna will truly become the master of the House of Death.”

"No longer needing a knife hanging over my head as a reminder. But now I am the true, complete, and undisputed master."

The fog guardian paused, a hint of emotion in his voice.

"The House of Death is waiting for someone like that to appear. Anna is also preparing for that."

"You've made your choice."

Lin Yi paused for a second, then nodded.

The Fog Guardian smiled, raised his hand, and pointed to the wall behind him.

A door had appeared on that rough wooden wall at some point.

The door is an ordinary wooden door, about two meters high and one meter wide. The door panel is made of dark wood, and the surface is covered with cracks and small holes from insects.

"It's time to go," said the fog guardian.

Lin Yi looked at him, nodded slightly, and then turned and walked out.

As he reached the door, he stopped and looked back.

Mond was still hanging upside down when he saw Lin Yi looking at him. Mond's eyes immediately lit up, and his body swayed even more violently, as if he was shouting, "Save me, save me!"

Lin Yi paused for a second, then looked away and continued walking forward.

Behind them came the sounds of Mond's more violent struggles, but no one turned around.

After walking for about ten minutes, a wooden door appeared ahead.

Lin Yi stopped in front of the door, reached out his hand, grasped the rusty iron ring, and gently pulled it.

The door opened.

Behind the door was a soft white light, obscuring what was inside.

Lin Yi didn't hesitate and stepped inside.

At the same time, the notification sound of the Reincarnation Paradise rang in his ears:

[The Hunter has completed the second stage of the Battle of the Strongest. After selecting the reward from the Death Game, he will return to the Battle of the Strongest rest area.]

As the light faded, Lin Yi found himself standing at the entrance of a long corridor.

The corridor was very high, about four or five meters high, with dark wood walls on both sides and a dim yellow wall lamp hanging every few meters.

The ground was paved with dark, gleaming stone, reflecting the soft light overhead.

The end of the corridor disappeared into the darkness, and it was impossible to see where it led.

But the most eye-catching person was the one standing by the corridor.

Anna, the Queen of Pain.

She was wearing a long black dress, the hem of which fell to the ground without a single wrinkle.

Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders, gleaming with a warm glow under the wall lamp.

Her face was still pale, but she looked much better than before, and at least she no longer gave the impression that she might collapse at any moment.

She placed her hands on her lower abdomen, her posture elegant and composed, and smiled as she looked at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi saw her walk forward and stop in front of her.

The two were less than a meter apart, and Lin Yi could clearly see her deep purple eyes, which shimmered with a soft light under the dim yellow light.

Lin Yi didn't speak, but instead took out the short knife from his storage space.

The blade of execution.

The blade is about thirty centimeters long and slightly curved, gleaming with a cold, sharp light under the wall lamp.

He held the knife in his palm and handed it to Anna.

If someone else had done this, Anna would definitely have reacted.

That knife, after all, was a sword hanging over her head, a weapon specifically designed to restrain her within the rules of the House of Death.

But Anna's expression remained unchanged as she looked at the knife Lin Yi handed her.

Those deep purple eyes simply gazed at him quietly, their gaze as gentle as if they were looking at their own younger brother.

She didn't back down, wasn't on guard, and didn't even show any extra expression.

She stood there, her hands still folded over her lower abdomen, her posture as composed as if Lin Yi had handed her just an ordinary gift.

That was 100% trust in Lin Yi.

Lin Yi looked into her eyes and asked softly, "Sister Anna, can I take this with me?"

Anna paused slightly upon hearing this.

But in just a moment, the smile on her face softened even more.

She understood what Lin Yi meant.

I wasn't asking her what the knife was for, or what it could be used for.

They asked her if they could just take the knife with them.

As long as Lin Yi takes it out of the Death House, and as long as the knife remains in his hands, Anna will be invincible within the Death House.

Because the knife that restrained her is no longer in the House of Death.

Anna looked at Lin Yi, a complex emotion flashing in her deep purple eyes.

There was relief, there was emotion, and there was also a touch of indescribable感慨 (gǎnkǎi - mixed feelings of emotion, reflection, and reflection).

She raised her hand and gently stroked Lin Yi's cheek.

She said softly, her voice as gentle as if she were coaxing a child: "Once this thing leaves the Death House, it will automatically disappear and then reappear in some corner of the Death House."

She paused, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

“Green tried it too. She tried all sorts of methods, using seals, spatial confinement, and every conceivable means to take the knife out. But she failed every time. As soon as it left the area of ​​the House of Death, it would disappear and then reappear here.”

Lin Yi remained silent and did not speak.

He had actually vaguely guessed this outcome.

The Keeper of the Mist said that this knife was created by the House of the Dead, not forged by any one person.

Since it is part of the Death House, it cannot be taken away from the Death House.

These are the rules, rules that are more powerful than Anna's.

He looked at Anna, then suddenly reached out and handed the knife to her.

"Here, take this."

Anna looked at him, a hint of doubt flashing in her deep purple eyes.

Lin Yi didn't speak, but continued to hold the knife out.

Anna looked at him for two seconds, then reached out and took the knife.

The instant her fingers touched the blade—

Click.

A very slight, crisp sound.

A fine crack appeared on the blade.

The crack started at the tip of the blade, extended downwards along the center line of the blade, and reached the hilt.

Then, the entire knife began to disintegrate.

It's not shattering, it's not breaking, but a more complete disintegration.

The tiny fragments peeled off the blade, turning into specks of light in mid-air before dissipating into the air.

The whole process took less than three seconds.

When the last glimmer of light disappeared, Anna's hands were empty.

The executioner's blade has vanished.

"Do you know," her voice was very soft, almost as if she were talking to herself, "what did you just do?"

Anna looked at him and suddenly smiled.

That smile was different from the usual faint smile that carried a sickly beauty; it was a genuine smile from the heart.

“You’ve done me a huge favor,” she said. “According to the rules of the House of Death, in return, I can give you one instance of reasonable assistance within the rules. Any assistance is welcome, as long as it doesn’t exceed the capabilities of the House of Death.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yi quickly began to calculate in his mind.

He knew all too well how valuable Anna's "one act of help" was.

What is the House of Death? It is a place that imprisons countless ancient beings, a place where even the strongest experts may perish.

As the owner of the House of Death, Anna has access to resources and connections far exceeding anyone's imagination.

She has lived in the void for countless years, and the number of people she knows, those who owe her favors, and those who are willing to give her face could probably circle the House of the Dead.

A promise of "help" from someone of this caliber would be enough to make any top-tier power envious.

However, Lin Yi had already decided what he wanted. (End of Chapter)