Am I really hallucinating?

Chapter 564 The Path of Illusion
"I... I was just thinking that I shouldn't rely on you too much!" Little Potato blushed slightly.

"Just keep it running. You wouldn't be alive now without me, so why be so reserved?" Zheng Fan looked down at her.

The rabbi didn't shy away from the gaze either; she rarely yielded on this point: "What if Carrot and I don't perform well, and you get tired of us?"

"I saved you, but you don't live for me... well, although some of the mechs seem to be developing in that direction, anyway, before you want to live for me, you'd better sort out your own hearts. And, it's okay if you don't perform well..."

Rabbi waited curiously for what would happen next, but she had no expectations, because she could also sense a slight fluctuation in Zheng Fan's personality, and the frequency didn't seem like he was about to say anything nice.

Zheng Fan hugged Luo Bo tightly and said sweetly, "Luo Bo, as long as you're standing here, I could never abandon you."

really.

"Beep beep..." Radish scratched his smooth head shyly.

Rabbi exhaled: "Thank you, Mr. Doll."

"No need for such formality, it's a bit embarrassing, let's go." Zheng Fan waved and walked forward. The wolf mother, who was in front, politely moved a little further away while they were talking.

However, at such a short distance, they didn't hide much, and it probably heard everything it was supposed to hear.

This polite distance is something many people don't pay attention to, but the wolf mother was truly a good mother.

It looked at Rabbi gently. If the other party wasn't Zheng Fan's host, it would really like to try asking him if he wanted to be its child.

Right now, there's absolutely no need for that.

As an illusion, it lacks the unrestrained spirit of Zheng Fan.

It wasn't just his treatment of his host; even after learning the truth about the dark world, he remained completely unaffected. He even made a certain resolution.

"Are you planning to fight me again, or just watch, or..." Zheng Fan asked as he walked beside the wolf mother.

"I'll help you," the wolf mother said.

"Hmph, just as I expected." Zheng Fan chuckled, making the wolf mother feel that he was one of the more mischievous types of her children.

“I said the destruction of this world is irreversible, but your strength is beyond my imagination. I even suspect that you are a spokesperson disguised as one of our own. However, in any case, you have something to convince me, both in words and in strength. So I believe you can reverse the situation of this world.”

If he really is a spokesperson, he could even influence the entire underworld...

The wolf mother didn't say this aloud, because it would be too grand and unrealistic.

Saving one world is still a long way off, let alone the entire dark world.

“My motive for reversing the world’s situation is not mine,” Zheng said with a smile, glancing at Carrot, who was a step behind him and whispering something to Rabbi.

Unlike the rabbi, Radish had already made his own decision and boldly told Zheng Fan.

This old mechanical doll has seen the world and is no longer shaken.

This is not meant to belittle Rabi, but Rabi is indeed too young compared to Robert. In human terms, Robert is at least Rabi's grandfather.

Zheng Fan's joke wasn't entirely without merit. He was so fond of this handsome mechanical doll standing right there; how could he easily abandon it?
……

“There’s a large factory over there. I arrived here relatively late, so most of what I know comes from what I heard from other members of my kind. They said that it was initially difficult to infiltrate Ji Lei City, and many of them ran away with humans after making contact with them. Most of the independent ones were targeted and eliminated as soon as they showed their presence in the heavily guarded Ji Lei City. Before leaving, the people of Dadu also provided a lot of help with the defenses here.”

Before long, the wolf mother straightened up and pointed a sharp finger at a large cluster of buildings in the distance:
"And this is the place where Ji Lei City was originally the most heavily guarded. The people here, together with the people of Dadu before, are trying to fuse us into metal with the unique metal of this world. It is said that this research has also attracted some attention in Dadu."

As they spoke, they drew closer, and as the building outlines gradually became clearer through the lingering rain, Rabbi said, "Dream Alloy, huh?"

She's long since used up all the Dream Alloy she acquired, and now that she's mastered real alchemy and can directly use Zheng Fan's power, making it even easier for her to create things than with Dream Alloy.

"Before the turmoil began, this place, with its strong defenses, remained steadfast even when attacked by a noble warlord known as 'Durason.' But they lost contact with the outside world and were forced by Durason to seal off the city and cut off their food supply. In desperation, they forcibly conscripted ordinary people from the city to continue exploring the mines without protection, which attracted more of our forces and gave our kind an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

"This factory was originally their most valued place, but we only know what it is, not why it is. The host of the so-called 'Ancient Bell' in this world is a member of this factory, and it seems to have some plans for this place. However, it is very secretive about this, and it will not reveal more to me, as I am a powerful and independent illusion that is different from it."

"Tell me your thoughts." Zheng Fan sensed that the wolf mother was holding back some information in her words. Moreover, the wolf mother's sense of smell was no joke. As a rare, numerically distorted illusion, everything on the wolf mother's body was based on its numerical values, including its nose.

During its time in the city, it must have formed its own judgments. "I can't be sure," the wolf mother said cautiously. "The scent of hallucinations in the city is too strong, as if it's deliberately confusing something. Normally, given the size of this city, my sense of smell can cover the entire city and be accurate to the individual units. But now, it's almost ineffective beyond a kilometer."

"Isn't it because of the many hallucinations?" the rabbi asked.

"I am quite confident in this regard. This is not a problem among our kind. In our sense of aura, each illusion is unique. For me, it is normal not to confuse them at all. Most other beings of our kind are not as strong as me, but they are also quite sensitive when they are close to each other. This is also a kind of self-preservation among us."

“This will effectively reduce disputes among similar groups, right?” Zheng Fan added.

The wolf mother nodded: "I find this somewhat difficult to understand, so I won't make any hasty judgments. This point of doubt is only a point of doubt for me."

Only its exaggerated "sense of smell" could detect such a trivial suspicion.

"No, your question is valid. The number of hallucinations existing in this city is far less than these intentionally spread auras, and often they are even disguised by the hallucination factors in people."

Zheng Fan became a little more serious and directly read through the information to get a comprehensive view of the city's situation.

Rabbi raised an eyebrow: "The motivation behind those illusions recruiting humans and giving them fantasy factors isn't to increase manpower and power, but rather a smokescreen? What does this have to do with the Royal Armory's factories?"

"That's why I say that if you can't control your personality and consciousness, you'll only be controlled by weak emotions. I've told you this many times before... the wolf."

A voice came from ahead.

The heavy gates of the Royal Armoury Factory had long been broken down by some immense force, and in the open space behind the gate, a figure appeared somewhat small in the rain.

However, the wolf mother's eyes narrowed slightly, and her muscles tensed up a little.

Footsteps made a "rustling" sound on the rain-soaked ground. Only upon closer inspection did we realize that the head of the "person" in front of us was actually a bronze bell.

The clock's surface is decorated with black tree-like patterns.

His body was more normal, but he was wearing a dark green traditional Chinese robe.

"It's just that our growth processes are slightly different. Gu Zhong, don't project your views onto other people of our kind, especially not onto me," the wolf mother retorted unhappily.

"No. Your absurd actions, coming here and standing before me with a body that can only exert half its power, are a mistake you made by being controlled by your foolish personality."

Gu Zhong raised a finger, his tone leisurely yet resolute and brooking no argument.

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground shook violently.

boom!
A huge crack appeared in the factory behind the ancient bell, revealing a colossal figure inside.

The wolf mother and rabbi opened their eyes wide, and the red light flashing on the carrot's face became more frequent and rapid.

A huge black bell, carrying an ancient and heavy aura, floats high in the sky, pouring down a pressure that momentarily suffocates everything.

But before anything could happen, Zheng Fan stepped forward and, without resisting, swallowed it all.

"Huh?" Gu Zhong was somewhat surprised. "Who are you?"

"So that's how it is. Those illusions that should have existed but disappeared were all refined away by you." Zheng Fan said casually, his hands in his pockets.

“Dream Alloy…such a large quantity of Dream Alloy!?” Rabi was so surprised that he was almost incoherent.

"Beep beep..." Even the signal tone of Radish seemed to become serious.

"You... you killed all your own kind who were with you..." The wolf mother found it hard to accept.

Gu Zhong said, "For the sake of the great cause of the dark world, since they have already chosen to stand on this side, what's wrong with sacrificing themselves for it?"

"So you mean it wasn't with their consent?" Zheng Fan chuckled. "And I think you didn't finish your sentence. The significance of this bell has nothing to do with any grand scheme in the underworld, but it's quite related to your own grand scheme. Who promised you anything? Don't want to be an illusion, want to be their spokesperson?"

The ancient bell fell silent for a moment: "You... are unusual."

"Hahaha! Interesting. You're quite the perfect person, aren't you? You've managed to embellish your actions so well, and you're full of lies. You've been raised quite well!" Zheng Fan made no attempt to hide his sarcasm.

(End of this chapter)