Chapter 338 – The Nemesis of the Illusion Realm
The hallucinogenic mushroom was a great tool. It could modify others’ memories quietly and with minimal mental energy consumption, almost with zero error. Whether in battle or in everyday use, it was one of Tu Ran’s favorite abilities.
At that moment, the hallucinogenic mushroom had indeed mesmerized Xie Xie’ao. His sharp eyes visibly lost focus, appearing dazed.
However, the person who had come in to report to Xie Xie’ao had the word [Awaken] shining above his head, and in that instant, Tu Ran’s heart jumped to her throat.
[The owner’s perception, memory, and thoughts will never be interfered with by non-natural elements, maintaining the purity of their soul. In addition, the owner can help awaken others’ modified perceptions, memories, and thoughts.]
Tu Ran: …
She felt that her [Illusion Realm] was being targeted.
The [Awaken] ability was clearly designed to counter the [Illusion Realm].
Without the [Illusion Realm] modifying others’ memories, there would be no need to “awaken” those altered memories.
In the instant she saw the description, Tu Ran quickly drew the dagger from her waist and threw it. It flew straight into the forehead of the bodyguard who had just appeared in her line of sight.
The force was so strong that half of the dagger penetrated his skull.
The bodyguard’s reaction was no match for Tu Ran’s speed. His pupils had only just reflected the shadow of the vibrant mushroom, and before he could comprehend its meaning, he was killed with one strike. His body collapsed backward.
Tu Ran immediately moved and caught his falling body, gently dragging him to the wall and laying him down.
All of this happened near the open door of the collection room.
Outside the door, two rows of bodyguards stood rigidly, waiting for Xie Xie’ao’s orders. Even the security personnel in charge of “Jie’s” mainframe had gathered, fully equipped and ready, awaiting Xie Xie’ao’s next instructions.
If even one more person had entered, or if anyone had come closer to the open door and glanced inside, they would have seen Tu Ran dragging their companion toward the wall.
But unfortunately, their discipline was too strict, and they missed the opportunity.
Tu Ran set the body down, stored the inner core in her space, then returned to Xie Xie’ao, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him behind the display cabinet.
“Tell them not to stand around like idiots. Split up and search all suspicious areas. We must find the intruder,” Tu Ran silently instructed, staring at Xie Xie’ao.
Xie Xie’ao followed her exact words, issuing the command.
Outside, the footsteps gradually faded away.
Tu Ran looked toward the corner of the room where the surveillance camera hung.
The camera shifted slightly.
Zero controlled the camera to signal to Tu Ran that the people outside had all left.
Only then did Tu Ran let out a breath of relief. Xie Xie’ao was still standing there, dazed, but she didn’t pay him any mind. She moved toward him, pulled the wooden box he had hidden earlier from his pocket.
If Xie Xie’ao had gone to such lengths to hide this box in a dangerous situation, it must have been something important.
Tu Ran pressed the box’s switch, opened the lid, and glanced inside.
It was difficult to make out the details from the surveillance footage, but now that she was close, she could see that the gray material contained tiny, flickering substances. The overall texture resembled metal, yet it lacked the typical metallic shine, instead appearing softer.
Nothing particularly special stood out.
She had never seen anything like it.
It wasn’t important.
Tu Ran closed the box, tossed it into her space, and reached out to grab Xie Xie’ao’s arm.
She would continue her routine of extracting value from a person: control, memory reading, and extracting the inner core.
The [Illusion Realm] had already taken control of Xie Xie’ao.
The second step was to read his memories.
Given Xie Xie’ao’s high status, it was clear that his mind would hold many secrets, making it difficult to pinpoint the right information. So, Tu Ran decided to read all of his memories.
Once the memories were fully absorbed, her blood pressure and heartbeat surged rapidly.
Looking at the plump man in front of her, Tu Ran couldn’t help but throw a punch at his face.
The flesh on his face rippled where her fist landed, the shockwave quickly spreading. Xie Xie’ao’s entire body was thrown back by the powerful force, crashing into the wall she had kicked open earlier.
The already damaged wall shattered even further.
Xie Xie’ao slid down the wall, his body instinctively twitching from the pain, but his consciousness remained under Tu Ran’s control, preventing him from fully feeling the agony.
If it weren’t for the fact that he still had some use, Tu Ran would have kicked him again, wishing to knock him into the wall so deep that he’d never be able to get out.
