Am I really hallucinating?

Chapter 560 Complex Illusions

"Gentlemen...do you need... shelter from the rain?" At that moment, a woman's voice came from a nearby house, intermittent in the rain, sounding like a ghost.

Finally, someone spoke to them, and Rabbi and Carrot naturally had no reason to refuse.

Once inside the dimly lit room, the rabbi's eyes were unaffected by the light, and he took in all the furnishings.

"Another hallucination? Is the hallucination in this city trying to compete with the gray neighborhoods of the capital?" Zheng Fan couldn't help but complain when he saw the thin woman sitting quietly in the chair after walking in.

In the capital, illusions at least kept to themselves somewhat, but here they've begun to run rampant. If this continues, the benchmark won't be gray neighborhoods, but rather dark suburbs.

"Aren't you going to turn on the lights? There are lights, the circuits are all intact, and even the oil lamp next to it isn't damp."

The woman whose face was obscured gently shook her head: "No, this is the price."

"cost?"

"The people of this city have sold the entire city, including themselves, to us. Ji Lei City will no longer have light. This is an absolute price that cannot be swayed, and even we must abide by it."

"Why?" the rabbi asked.

"Because this world has been chosen to become one of the sacrifices. This is... the beginning."

"What offerings?" Zheng asked instinctively. He had initially thought it was just a matter for the city, but it seemed there were other connections involved.

The rabbi glanced at Zheng Fan and asked a question on Zheng Fan's behalf.

"The black journey home... everything is for it." The woman's body trembled slightly, and she shook her head gently.

It seemed she couldn't explain it clearly either, as if it were all a mystery.

Rabbi looked at Zheng Fan for confirmation, and seeing that Zheng Fan also shook his head, he stopped worrying about it and continued to ask, "Why would the people of this city make a deal with you?"

"...Where did you enter the city from?" The woman slightly raised her head, and through her somewhat disheveled hair, one could see a pair of bloodshot eyes with very dark circles. She didn't intentionally dress up like this; this body was already nearing its limit, and Zheng Fan could tell at a glance that the fit was very low.

The woman's hallucinations and her body were not well-matched, which was not good for either her or the hallucinations. They dragged each other down, and eventually, the woman died from the unbearable burden. The already limited growth of the hallucinations may also have deteriorated.

"West side."

“No wonder… If you came in from the east, you would know… There, there are mountains of corpses and seas of blood… the mountains of corpses and seas of blood of Durrara and Kabala.”

Rabbi understood upon hearing this: "Durason and Kabala are using Jilei City as their battlefield?" She had indeed seen some traces of war when she looked out into the distance before the rain started to fall heavily.

As the city closest to the mines, taking control of it is a normal strategic need. Jilei City also houses the Royal Military Industry's processing plants and production lines; acquiring or recovering them would be a tremendous boost for both Durason and Kabala.

“Kabbalah enslaved people, Durrasun slaughtered indiscriminately… People were terrified, so they chose illusion.” The woman’s pupils trembled, and one could vaguely see the resentment that had accumulated in her heart.

On one hand, there's a living hell, and on the other, there's death. What about the third, unknown path? Most people would probably choose to take a gamble.

"So Jilei City is indeed currently dominated by a large number of hallucinations emerging from the mines... What about your current situation? I think I'm being targeted because I provoked one of your hallucinations outside the city. It seems that the targets of these hallucinations aren't entirely aligned?" Rabbi asked while analyzing.

“We cannot defy the tide. We can choose our own human bodies here, but as we grow and experience life, we will change.” The woman’s words seemed to be tinged with a sigh.

"Mom?" A childish voice came from deep inside the room.

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent.

The woman stood up, and at that moment a door was pushed open. A little girl walked out somewhat frightened, but stopped immediately when she saw Rabbi and Carrot—mainly Carrot.

The woman walked forward quietly, and the little girl hugged the woman's leg, which relieved her fear.

"Don't be afraid...they are guests, it's alright." The woman glanced at the rabbi, nodded gently, and led the child back into the house, where a weak lullaby soon filled the air.

But it does sound like a good way to lull a child to sleep.

A moment later, the lullaby stopped, and the woman floated out again.

Before the rabbi could ask, she spoke first: “The husband of this family was my first host. He and I were very compatible, and he helped me grow a lot. I also learned from that man and promised to protect his family. We all made this promise to the people here at the beginning, but not all illusions can learn the weight of a promise. With a fuller awareness, we also crave more and become more greedy.”

“There is a hallucination that leads to breach of contract,” the rabbi said.

"We've split into several factions. The breach-of-contract faction is ruthless, actively seeking out and toying with hiding humans; those targeted by them rarely meet a good end. The ruling faction, indifferent to breach of contract, is loyal only to their initial goal, disregarding everything else. They simply rule the city and eliminate any destabilizing factors that interfere with their objective. They recruit humans who hope to avoid their fate by serving them as subordinates, while also prohibiting humans from escaping. The commitment faction either holds firm individually or bands together for mutual support, trying their best to provide a protective umbrella for the humans they want to protect, but the future remains uncertain..."

The woman spoke in a weak voice; with the heavy rain outside, it was difficult to hear her at a glance. The rabbi couldn't help but ask, "Even hallucinations can be this different?"

"Beep beep..." Little Radish added a reminder.

"Ahem." Zheng coughed twice, pretending to cough.

Rabbi glanced at Zheng Fan and then looked away.

Yes, yes, I know that Mr. Doll is a very special illusion.

“The previous host died while fighting against other hallucinations. This woman can also see me with difficulty, and even though the compatibility is very low, I will use her body to continue to protect their last child.”

How much longer can you hold out?

The woman shook her head and then nodded: "I don't know either. She might die tomorrow morning. If I were to hold on until the very end, I would probably be dragged down by her... I don't hate this family. The previous host was never afraid of me and would invite me to family dinners. This host was initially afraid of me, but to thank me for my help, she knitted me a towel... I will hold on until she can't go on."

"Even if we follow the grand goal you mentioned before, it's still possible that none of the people here will survive in the end?" the rabbi asked with a sharp question.

“That is an unchangeable trend, one that I cannot stop, one that is beyond my control. But until then, I can at least protect their children until the very last moment of this world.” The woman met the rabbi’s gaze without flinching, her resolve unwavering.

The two stared at each other for a long time, and then the rabbi gave in.

She asked, "So what's your intention in telling us all this?"

"I'm telling you this information in the hopes that you can help me..."

“Help protect the children? I have my own things to do, and after knowing what you're talking about, I'll probably be busy here in Ji Leicheng as well.” Rabbi frowned slightly.

To her, the hallucinations that emerged from the Hackchul mine were also foreign intrusions. Perhaps they were easily influenced by human hosts due to their nature, but to put it bluntly, they had only themselves to blame.

Rabbis find it difficult to develop any fondness for these kinds of creatures.

"What's with the fuss?" Zheng Fan said with a smile, seeing through Rabbi's thoughts.

The rabbi would certainly not refuse to protect the child; her only distress was the fact that she was "entrusted by the illusion to protect the child."

The rabbi turned his head away.

The woman said, “You are very strong. I sensed a deeper aura from beyond this world on you. I dare not ask for too much. I will end the possession soon. This woman and her child can at least see each other one last time. After that, I will hurry to find another body that can be compatible with me. Please protect the child until the moment I return. There is a wicked fellow being staring at the child for a long time.”

The rabbi suddenly said, "Wait a minute, if you go looking for a body, what happens if you find a suitable body but the other person doesn't cooperate?"

"I'll take it by force, even if it reduces my physical compatibility, but I don't have time to worry about that."

"So you've essentially kidnapped someone?!"

"So what? All I want to protect is this child."

"Tsk." Rabbi sensed the flaws in this illusion, a creature that learns and grows from humans. This illusion was a great protector of this home, but it was also completely indifferent to sacrificing other innocent people for the sake of this home.

Why doesn't Mr. Puppet feel this way?

The rabbi could see that Zheng Fan did not have similar flaws. To be precise, Zheng Fan's flaws were "personality defects" rather than "humanity defects."

At least he presented himself as a complete person.

"Forget it, just reveal the location of that illusion, and we'll take care of it for you," Rabbi said, somewhat annoyed.

The woman was taken aback: "No need. You just said you had other things to do. Your appearance has disrupted the stability of this city. Earlier, I saw 'Qishan' return from outside with injuries. From what you've told me, it seems you were the ones who injured him. He's a member of the ruling faction. You've already become enemies with the city's ruling faction, so it's not advisable to cause any more trouble."

"Heh, so we're ready to take over this whole city. Do you think we're afraid of having one more little minion on our side? Report our positions!" The rabbi slammed his hand on the table in annoyance.

Woman: "...Okay."

What a volatile human! It's terrifying and gives me hallucinations.

"Please keep your voice down. The child hasn't been sleeping well at night since Dad left and wakes up easily." But she still dared to remind him.

"Oh, sorry." Rabbi obediently sat back down.

(End of this chapter)