CHAPTER 241: CHAPTER 225 POWDERED GRAPES

This place is incredibly eerie.

But it’s not just about creating a simple illusion.

If it were merely creating an illusion, Wen Nan had previously experienced that with Yu Shouling. That "Midsummer Night’s Dream" essential oil had a great effect in crafting illusions.

However, the illusion inside this "Divine Staff Sheath," based on Wen Nan’s past memories, has a strong entrapment effect on players within.

This entrapment primarily manifests mentally—as if there’s a built-in hypnotic effect, players in this room find it difficult to resist being led by the scenes here.

This is why, when lying on this hospital bed right after passing through that secret door, Wen Nan chose to converse with Doctor Zhang instead of exposing him.

Similarly, this is why when Wen Nan saw his first love crying like a rain-drenched pear blossom before him, despite the incongruity and vague suspicion, he still cooperated and played along.

It’s like being trapped in a nightmare while asleep, where even if many details aren’t real, even if most of the plot is contradictory, the characters’ actions illogical, and some scenes are blurred, black and white, even as the protagonist, you aren’t in first-person, but a god’s eye view, yet your brain insists that everything you’re experiencing is real.

"Doubt" is heavily suppressed in the dream.

Just now, Yu Shujun’s unexpected intrusion pulled Wen Nan out of that illusionary "dream."

When the lightsaber sliced through the woman’s head, Wen Nan was finally able to completely escape the unreal scene.

So, even though he didn’t hope for Yu Shujun to be inadvertently involved because of him, Wen Nan was still grateful for his timely appearance.

However, even though Yu Shujun’s appearance helped him rid of the nightmare’s disturbance, he wasn’t quite like someone who just woke from a deep dream—

He was still in this "illusion."

This meant that while Wen Nan was no longer aimlessly interacting with fake characters as he did earlier, his mind hadn’t completely returned to its pre-room state.

Wen Nan’s current state is somewhat like a drunk person, one capable of downing two bottles of Red Star but only having drunk a Tsingtao—

His mind a bit foggy, thoughts somewhat slow, actions occasionally inappropriate, but overall, he is sober.

Of course, such a state is nothing significant for Wen Nan, it was far worse when he had episodes before.

What’s most problematic about the "Divine Staff Sheath" for Wen Nan is—his system has disappeared.

No system means no waking up skills, no way to check his attributes, and the equipment bar is locked, all equipment and items unusable, even the guiding tattoo on his palm has vanished.

Now, he’s no different from an ordinary person before entering the game world.

How to escape this "living coffin" under such circumstances?

Wen Nan voiced his question, and Yu Shujun shook his head, correcting his view:

"Here, equipment and items can’t be used, but the player’s attributes and innate skills don’t disappear."

Wen Nan was slightly taken aback.

Upon reconsideration, it made sense; if he turned into an ordinary person, how did Yu Shujun achieve those feats with one swing just now?

Yu Shujun continued explaining:

"The equipment bar, attribute panel, player system are all restricted here, but using skills doesn’t necessarily need the system.

"You can try using mental control skills; even without a prompt, you can still activate skills.

"Like the golden guiding tattoo on your palm, even if it can’t be seen now, it still exists. Its restraint on me still works, and it’s through this bond that I teleported myself here."

This explanation was indeed quite reasonable.

However, Wen Nan pointed at the lightsaber in Yu Shujun’s hand, "Why can you still use your equipment?"

Yu Shujun responded by holding the long sword horizontally, the golden light on the blade shining brightly, "It’s not equipment, it’s my main skill—Root Breaking Slash."

The golden sword light shone brilliantly in Yu Shujun’s beautiful sapphire eyes.

Wen Nan was slightly stunned, not expecting that sword to be a skill instead of equipment?

And Yu Shujun mentioned taking them out of here by relying on this "Root Breaking Slash" skill?

Wen Nan had witnessed the power of this lightsaber, just...

"The barrier surrounding the Divine Staff Sheath is designed to only let things in, not out. Isn’t that an inherent rule of this game world? No matter how powerful, your skill’s output and explosion shouldn’t break the game rules, right?"

Yu Shujun shook his head and seriously said: "Root means the root."

Wen Nan was momentarily silent.

After a few seconds of stillness, he coldly replied, "Yeah, my English was pretty good in fifth grade, no need for you, Yu Xueba, to worry."

Yu Shujun: ...

Too lazy to banter, Yu Shujun brandished the sword and stepped forward, "In any case, this barrier can’t be cut by ordinary swords, but Root Breaking Slash can."

With that, the long sword was raised high above his head, drawing a beautiful golden arc before slashing towards the white foggy barrier outside the window.

Wen Nan squinted his eyes.

Can it really break the barrier with one strike? That powerful?

A bit impressive, he pulled it off again.

However, the sword rose, and fell.

No trace was left on that white foggy wall outside.

The atmosphere turned somewhat awkward.

"Um, brother..."

Wen Nan raised his hand, intending to pat Yu Shujun’s shoulder and tell him it’s alright, that occasionally failing to show off is normal, after all, it’s just the two of them here, no outsiders to laugh.

Yet, before his hand touched Yu Shujun’s shoulder, Yu Shujun had already raised the lightsaber again, the blade emitted an even more dazzling golden light, making Wen Nan squint, raising his hand, stepping back two steps.

Another slash followed, this time Yu Shujun tried his best.

However, the white foggy wall still bore no trace.

"Maybe just give up..."

Wen Nan wanted to persuade to abandon, but before he finished, the lightsaber rose again, one swing after another, relentlessly striking outside the window, like an untiring lumberjack.

Wen Nan felt a bit helpless.

This little brother can be quite stubborn at times.

But since they were trapped here anyway, with nothing else to do, if he wants to chop, let him continue chopping.

Wen Nan shrugged, turned around, lay down on his hospital bed, with his head resting behind his hands, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.

The light strip above emitted a white glow; Wen Nan stared at a certain spot in the middle, his brow slightly furrowed.

This room, he had lived in for too long, was all too familiar.

He distinctly remembered that in the very center of the ceiling, there used to be a smoke detector...

While thinking, he saw a smoke detector appear out of nowhere on the previously empty ceiling.

Wen Nan shot up from the bed, head tilted back, meticulously examining the smoke detector.

This place could actually make real-time adjustments according to his thoughts?

Like a person in a half-awake state, aware they’re in a dream but not fully awake, at this time, you can control your own dream.

And now, Wen Nan was the master of his own dream.

Thinking of this, he curled his lips into a smile, lay back down, and began deliberately controlling his thoughts.

Engrained memories...

The time he cut off the dragon root, rendezvous with his first love, and was forced to part, that memory was indeed engraved in his heart.

But in Wen Nan’s memory, it wasn’t just that scene that left a deep impression.

After entering this game world, in every instance, Wen Nan experienced many situations that he would never forget for a lifetime.

For example—

As his thoughts changed, the hospital room in front of him gradually shattered into many pieces, fragments regrouping, quickly forming a new scene.

Wen Nan instantly recognized it as the living room of Lin Xue Mei and Qiqi’s house from the first trial map.

At this moment, Wen Nan was sitting on the living room sofa, with news playing on the TV in front, and faint sounds of water, washing, and dishes clinking came from the kitchen beside.

"Aunt Mei?"

Wen Nan called softly towards the kitchen.

Lin Xue Mei wearing a pink bunny apron, carrying a plate of fruit, walked out of the kitchen with a smile and came up to Wen Nan.

"Little Jiu, are you hungry? The food is in the pot and will be ready soon. Have some fruit to fill your belly?"

Wen Nan looked at that alluring face filled with endless tenderness, momentarily stunned.

Lin Xue Mei laughed, reaching out to gently stroke Wen Nan’s cheek, "What’s wrong? Why do you look dazed? Too much schoolwork today, exhausted?"

Saying this, she placed the fruit plate on the coffee table in front of Wen Nan, picked a plump grape, and with two slender fingers, delivered it to Wen Nan’s lips, "Don’t overwork yourself, health is important. These are freshly bought sunny green grapes from the market, try them, how do they taste?"

To conveniently bring the grape to Wen Nan’s lips, Lin Xue Mei bent down, her upper body moving closer to Wen Nan.

Wen Nan’s gaze fell, quickly noticing a bit of allure, unexpectedly, she was wearing nothing but the bunny apron?

Raising his eyebrows lightly, Wen Nan chuckled softly, opening his mouth to take the grape along with Lin Xue Mei’s fingertips, while reaching out, wrapping an arm around Lin Xue Mei’s waist, pulling her into his embrace.

Lin Xue Mei let out a soft exclamation, her body soft as tofu, obediently collapsed into Wen Nan’s arms, and asked, "Is it tasty?"

Wen Nan’s lips formed a deep arc of a smile.