CHAPTER 73: CHAPTER 73: THE FOX CLAN, ILLUSION MASTERS

Zerra didn’t really care how they would manage those people; it had nothing to do with her. She was most concerned about her current state. Her appetite plummeted, and she mostly only asked for spring water from Cassias.

As if he noticed her current condition, Cassias started giving her different spring water. More concentrated in spiritual energy. The first time Zerra tasted it, she was very surprised.

He actually had such a good thing! Her recovery was noticeably faster. After gulping down an entire bottle of the spring water, she had to stop because her stomach couldn’t take it.

Nevertheless, she acutely sensed that the pain lessened significantly. As Zerra closed her eyes to process the spiritual energy swirling in her body, the three people were still engaged in a conversation.

"I don’t know what that blockhead Henry was thinking." Laziel frowned. "It was actually him who proposed to bring those people around?! All of them at that!"

Zerra opened her eyes again after she was done processing the spiritual energy from the spring water. Her eyes flashed when she heard Laziel’s words, but she kept her silence.

The reason was apparent; Henry had lost too much manpower and wanted to rope people onto his side.

Nyra knitted her eyebrows with a troubled face. Likewise, Cassias’ complexion revealed a look of contemplation. Once she saw those two having such expressions, she knew that things weren’t as simple as they looked on the surface.

Something must have been out of control or didn’t align with their previous lives’ memories. Most likely it was regarding the cannibalism, mutated mushrooms, or something behind the scenes she wasn’t aware of.

She remembered Scott and Jake’s words. Apparently, there was a certain individual who had taught them how to use their power. He was also aware of the crystal cores’ benefit.

This matter was undoubtedly odd.

The Moon Cloud city base only received the knowledge about crystal cores and their use because they were connected to the higher-ups in the Capital.

Was the person they talked about from the Research Institute?

She had a nagging feeling that the person was also the one responsible for Scott’s madness.

Zerra shook her head, no longer wanting to care about it. Why did she need to think about it? Let the main protagonists face the ultimate boss.

***

"What’s wrong with it? They committed cannibalism because they were forced to do so. If they had enough supplies, they wouldn’t be doing such a thing."

When the sun rose in the east, the fog had completely dissipated, and Zerra heard Henry’s words first thing in the morning.

She inwardly clicked her tongue in wonder. People really can do anything for power, to the point of blurring white into black and black into white.

"Our base isn’t just for certain individuals, didn’t we agree before that we welcome everyone? Why don’t you welcome people from this residential area now?" Henry argued in self-righteous tone.

She glanced at the person he was speaking to. It was Darren, who had a look of disapproval all over his face.

"Don’t twist my words. You know I don’t mean it that way. What I am saying is that we shouldn’t let just anyone join our base," Darren said in a rage. He glared at Henry with bloodshot eyes; like he hadn’t been sleeping all night.

"Suspicious people should be monitored. We already tested what the mutated mushroom can do to people." He continued indignantly.

The investigation proved that some people who were in touch with Scott before were, more or less, exposed to the mutated mushroom.

From the initial observation, the mushroom proved to be a deadly kind. Not only could it distort someone’s mind, prolonged exposure to its powder might cause loss of control, irritable personality, and rash behavior.

Occasionally, they would even experience hallucinations, without external stimuli like illusions, unable to differentiate between reality and imagination.

It was obvious that Henry didn’t put much importance on it. "That mushroom hasn’t been tested by the Research Institute yet. How can such a small thing be so dangerous? Don’t just believe whatever people tell you."

After saying that, he didn’t even look at Darren. He merely raised his eyebrows in irritation; his face held an expression of condescension. Flicking the dust off his sleeve, he sneered and left Darren standing there.

From their words, it seemed that Henry had single-handedly promised those people shelter in their human base without consulting Darren first.

When Darren passed the car, she closed her eyes and lowered her presence as if she hadn’t heard their argument. Laziel was sleeping beside her while it was unknown where Cassias and Nyra had gone.

She glanced at the sleeping Laziel.

"Woke up, you sleepyhead." She shook him off. Her hands were still sore, but it was within the pain level she could tolerate.

Laziel’s eyes fluttered open. He yawned and stretched. His mood was a little irritable and moody after he had been forcefully woken up. "What?"

"It’s already morning."

He was a little more somber after he heard her words, pushed himself into a sitting position and gathered his scattered souls.

"Elder brother," Zerra suddenly called out.

He turned to her with questioning eyes that gradually morphed into concern. "Do you need anything? Hungry? I’ll find Cassias or eldest sister."

"No." She pursed her lips. "Can I make a request?"

He raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to continue her words.

Her eyes narrowed into crescents as she smiled. She looked around for any nearby people as if she were a fox trying to steal a chicken. Darren was gone, so it was safe enough.

In a cheerful tone, she asked him, "Can you keep a secret that we have the mutated mushroom in Cassias’ space? Don’t tell anyone. Only the three of us should know."

Darren must have gone to take a sample, but without the suitable living conditions, the mutated mushroom would die. She just found out that besides the damp haystack for its living environment, the mutated mushroom grew by absorbing the nutrition on human remains...

Laziel was stunned. A look of hesitation crossed his face.

Zerra pouted when she saw this. Inwardly, she complained. He must have been thinking about telling Nyra about this, didn’t he?

Her face flashed with coldness, and she turned her head away. "Forget it then."

She wanted to study the mutated mushroom without arousing suspicion. Perhaps, she might even gain enlightenment about illusion or, at the higher level, mind control.

Cassias in this reincarnation was a bit trustworthy as a teammate, but Nyra hadn’t changed much. She just planned to buy time before the relationship between Cassias and Nyra started. He would be biased towards Nyra then.

Her heart was restless to try again. Maybe in this lifetime, things will be different. She wanted to master illusion and escape from the main protagonist’s group. Even better if she could hypnotize them into believing that she had never existed.

"I promise you," Laziel suddenly said.

She turned to him again. Her smile blossomed like a flower.

But... her mind was still a little distracted. She noticed some details she had overlooked.

Scott’s power had a hint of hypnotize. That was why she subconsciously thought that he could trigger people into believing she and Cassias were gone.

Now, she was incredibly curious. Who was that person Scott had been in contact with?