V2: Chapter 37: Creating Illusions

“It really is possible!”

At this point, Octaville, frustrated, tugged at her hair.

“But we don’t know how to awaken this ability in you, nor do we know how to teach you to create illusions for others…”

Everyone turned their hopeful gazes to Laura.

Laura panicked instantly. She stood there, frantically waving her hands and shaking her head, “No, no, no, I don’t know, I don’t know! Don’t look at me, I only dreamed about that part, I don’t know the rest! Even now, even if I wanted to grow those wings from my dream again, I couldn’t!”

Everyone’s gaze turned dejected again, and they all sighed.

Just then, Liang Lin suddenly spoke up. Her face was slightly flushed, like a ripe apple. She bit her lower lip, finding it difficult to speak.

“That, actually…”

In the end, she decided to sacrifice herself for everyone’s sake.

“Well, Liang Di, actually… you can practically immerse people in an illusion. Like, like before, well, you know what I mean, I don’t need to say more, it was just that when you stared into my eyes, I felt like there were whirlpools swirling in them, and I couldn’t control myself, I just wanted to keep staring into your eyes, I…”

Liang Lin’s face grew increasingly red, so red it seemed like it could drip water. Her voice grew softer and softer, almost inaudible.

“It’s like, it gives me a very pleasurable feeling. I feel like I’ve entered another world. I forget my troubles, and then, well, yes! It’s just very happy. I… I don’t know what happened in the illusion, but… well, it just… made me feel like I didn’t want to wake up.”

After hearing her words, everyone’s eyes filled with hope again as they looked at Liang Di.

Liang Di shrugged. "I do have some feelings in that area, but they're not strong. I don't know how to use them. Only when I'm with Sister Liang Lin do I unconsciously... well, anyway, you understand."

Octaville covered her face.

This child, how did she end up with such a lustful nature? She has such a great ability, but she doesn't use it for good; instead, she uses it for crooked purposes.

Octaville thought, "I'll ask Liang Lin's opinion. I want to ask if she's willing to sacrifice herself again and be the 'guinea pig' so Liang Di can practice her ability to attract others into illusions."

But, that's Hilary's sister. If she says something detrimental to her sister, Hilary will probably beat her to death.

"Hmm..."

Liang Di stroked her chin.

“It’s okay, I can try it myself. Anyway, I already have a general direction. I can use my dog ​​at home to test it.”

At this moment, Hilary silently raised her hand. “If you really want to experiment, I can be the guinea pig. You pull me into your illusion.”

“No!”

Before Liang Di could even respond, Octaville refused decisively.

“You’ve never been in an illusion before. You don’t know how dangerous or terrifying it is. I can’t let you put yourself in danger. Besides, if Liang Di doesn’t succeed, that’s fine. But if she does succeed, it’s her first time pulling someone into an illusion, and she might not be able to control the force. What if she pulls you in and can’t get you out, and you can’t get out on your own? That would be a huge problem.”

Liang Di agreed, nodding.

"That’s right, she’s right. It’s best not to easily use someone as a guinea pig for this kind of thing. I might not be able to control the force, and it wouldn’t be good if I hurt you.”

"Then what about hypnotizing a dog? And after hypnotizing a dog, how do you know if the dog was actually hypnotized?" Laura, behind them, spoke softly and timidly, posing the crucial question.

That's… right.

But Liang Di couldn't care less about that now; she desperately wanted to learn this ability.

Back at the magic tower by the sea, she had almost suffered a great loss when a monster pulled her into an illusion, and the magicians who fought alongside her had also died or been injured while being pulled into illusions by monsters.

Perhaps influenced by Liang Lin's views, Liang Di was even feeling regret for the deaths of others.

“Octaville, if you’re free tomorrow, take Laura to see Bradrick. Let them reunite,” Liang Di said. “However, I feel that Bradrick has also forgotten about his daughter. His memory has probably been erased or altered. That angel with eyes on her wings, since she could alter Laura’s memories, she probably altered her father’s too.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Laura again.

“Laura, who exactly are you?” Hilary asked.

This question startled Laura. She didn’t know either. Faced with everyone’s aggressive gazes, she instantly became timid, shrinking into a corner, hugging her shoulders, and trembling.

“You, you can’t look at me like that, okay? I, I don’t know who I am. I, I didn’t want this to happen. I, I don’t know why I have eyes and wings. I didn’t want to go through this, really!”

Everything she said was true.

Laura, this child, didn't really have any grand dreams or any mission she wanted to accomplish. From a young age, influenced by her mother, all she wanted was a peaceful life, enough to eat and wear, her own house to live in, and to live happily ever after with her family.

But her mother was dead, and her father had been gone for so many years. Laura felt incredibly unfortunate. She wished that memory could be sealed away forever. She had supposedly forgotten the truth about her mother's death, but now she was forced to remember the fact that her mother had been brutally murdered by tentacles—how painful that was!

“I believe in you, Laura,” Liang Di patted Laura’s shoulder. “I’ll figure out a solution to this myself. Although I don’t know how to learn hypnosis, I believe that with my own efforts and intelligence, I can figure it out eventually.”

Liang Di thought for a moment, then finally made up her mind. She pressed down on Laura’s shoulder. “But before that, I need to ask you for a favor.”

Liang Di’s pupils turned green, seemingly swirling within them.

“Laura, is this what you saw in that man’s eyes?”

Laura’s gaze gradually became unfocused. She stared intently at Liang Di, silent.

.....

Something’s wrong.

Liang Di forcibly turned her head away.

“Ah…”

Laura snapped back to reality. She looked around in alarm, her heart pounding.

In those few seconds, she seemed to see a vibrant manor, its exterior filled with golden wheat, and people with faces she couldn't make out waving at her. That manor was just like the one in her dreams, like her Garden of Eden, drawing her forward.

Laura took a step back, her eyes filled with increasing fear as she looked at Liang Di. She nodded timidly, "Um, um...yes, Miss Liang Di, it seems like that's how it is. Just now, I think I saw a beautiful manor. Although my parents weren't waving, but...but for a moment, I forgot who I was."

Hearing this, Octaville was overjoyed. She stood up, disregarding her image, grabbing Liang Di's shoulders and shaking her wildly. 

"Liang Di! If you can research something like this, maybe we won't have to be afraid of illusions anymore! Maybe we can figure out a way to break free from illusions!"

Liang Di was shaken around by Octaville, feeling a blankness in her mind. She almost threw up yesterday's food. Speechless, she slapped Octaville's hand away and pushed her away.

“Don’t be so optimistic. This is just an experiment. I feel my illusions aren’t quite right; they’re not as dangerous as those monsters or that man’s.”

Laura, standing nearby, spoke timidly, “I think they were quite dangerous. Thinking about what happened just now still sends chills down my spine and makes me break out in a cold sweat. I almost walked towards that field of wheat. Even now, recalling it, I feel a wave of fear. That wheat was like a man-eating monster, luring you forward, only to devour you completely once you reached a certain point.”

Liang Di pondered for a long time.

“Laura, your wings… they never appeared again, right?”

Laura subconsciously touched her back and nodded.

"So, would you like to let your wings reappear? Didn't that thing say you'd know when you came of age? Now that you're an adult, you should regain this ability, right?"

Laura had a bad feeling. She stammered, "Miss Liang, you mean...?"

"If you're not afraid, we can experiment again. Of course, I respect your choice. If you're afraid, I won't practice with you."

Liang Di was thinking that Laura's ability hadn't been fully activated yet. The previous activation was due to the danger of being trapped in an illusion, but now that there was no danger, the wings seemed to have disappeared as well.

Therefore, using Laura as a test subject was a good choice. While developing her own abilities, she could also develop Laura's. If necessary, Laura could protect herself, unlike others who, once trapped in an illusion, were truly in a predicament and couldn't escape unless they had strong willpower.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Laura shook her head hesitantly. "No, no, I'm still too scared. It's just too terrifying, too terrifying..."

She kept repeating the phrase "too terrifying."

Liang Di nodded, indicating that she understood.

"Okay, let's call it a day then. I'll go back and do some research myself."

Liang Di left with Liang Lin and Laura.

After they left, Hilary didn't smile as happily as Octaville. Her smile always carried a hint of worry. She wondered, if Liang Di learned to create illusions, with her twisted and insane mind, would she do something to her Sister Liang Lin? Although Liang Di had been behaving normally lately, could a person's true nature really change so easily?

Hilary didn't know about others, but she knew herself. No matter how well she pretended, she couldn't erase the fact that she was a paranoid. Seeing Octaville (except when talking to Liang Lin and Liang Di) say a single word to another woman would drive her mad with jealousy. She always had to try her best to control herself and act like a normal person.

This situation only improved after Octaville gave birth to their child. To be honest, Hilary always felt quite despicable, especially about the things she had done. Therefore, she was able to understand and empathize with Liang Di's actions.

This whole family is mentally unstable, and seriously so. Hilary and Liang Di are love-crazed yanderes, while Liang Lin is blindly loyal and blindly confident, believing her views to be the only correct truth in the world—a megalomaniac.

Among them, Octaville is probably the least affected. She's a bit crazy, but her logic in dealing with problems is still quite normal.

The next day.

Octaville, with Laura, went to the dilapidated church and found Bradrick.

When they arrived, they found Bradrick and several young men and women sitting together, discussing something. Bradrick was surprised to see them. He stood up to greet them and saw Laura beside Octaville. In an instant, his expression became strange, seemingly filled with grief.

“Ah… Lord Tower Master,” Bradrick forced a smile, speaking to Octaville, but his eyes never left Laura. “What brings you here today?”

Before Octaville could speak, Laura shot past her like an arrow.

“Dad!”

Laura threw herself into Bradrick’s arms, and before anyone could react, she burst into tears, her sobs echoing in the small room. Everyone stared in shock, including Bradrick.

After a long while, Bradrick’s trembling hands touched Laura’s back.

“Little girl, you must have mistaken me for someone else?”

Laura, her eyes brimming with tears, looked up, staring intently into her father's eyes, her voice sincere. “Dad, it’s me! I’m your daughter, Laura!”

Bradrick shook his head slowly in disbelief. “No, it’s impossible, Laura, Laura… my daughter died years ago, how could this be…?”

“Dad, it really is me! We used to live in Hecklers, didn’t we? You’ve forgotten me, but you can’t forget where we lived, can you?”

Hearing that familiar place name, Bradrick completely broke down.

The moment he saw Laura, he felt a sense of déjà vu, like his deceased daughter. But he knew his daughter was dead; the dead cannot be brought back to life. This girl only resembled his daughter somewhat. That’s why his smile was so forced, why he forced a smile.

But now, this girl, who looked so much like his daughter, was calling him "Dad" and claiming to be his daughter. Anyone would be overwhelmed by this.

"Really... really you? Laura?" Bradrick still couldn't believe it. He even slapped himself hard, afraid he was having a beautiful dream about seeing his daughter because of his longing.

"It really is me! Laura! Dad, I'll tell you what happened that day, I'll tell you the truth about this world!" Laura hugged her father tightly, unwilling to let go. She was afraid of being separated from him again.

Everyone around was stunned, but their actions were remarkably consistent; no one spoke to disturb the father and daughter.

Laura patiently recounted her dream for the fourth time.

Bradrick then realized that his memories had been altered.

In his memory, his daughter died of illness, but in Laura's previous memories, her parents were the ones who died of illness.

But, ultimately, there was one good thing: they were finally reunited.

The two embraced and wept bitterly.

Father and daughter, separated for many years, were finally reunited at this moment.

"Dad, what have you been doing all these years?"

Laura asked as they parted.

Bradrick's eyes were resolute as he looked at the distant sunset.

"I've always been determined to discover the truth of this world. Now, it seems we're not far from the truth, but as we get closer, we'll discover even greater secrets. I think I will continue to explore this world."

Laura seemed lost in thought.

"Is this... your dream, Dad?"

She seemed to know what to do.

Back at the Langwendi mansion, Laura, with a heavy heart, knocked on Liangdi's door.

Click~

The door opened.

Seeing it was Laura, Liang Di remained calm, as if she had expected it.

"Laura, you've come," she said.

Laura nodded. "Miss Liang Di, you knew I'd come, didn't you?"

"Probably, though only about eighty percent sure," Liang Di smiled. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to ensure your safety."

She called over Liang Lin, Bellica, and Gladys, telling them that if the two women remained motionless for more than ten seconds, they should be separated immediately to ensure no one's life was in danger.

Thirty seconds in the illusion was enough to kill a person, so it was best to forcibly pull them out of the illusion within ten seconds, while there was still time.

"Laura, have you made up your mind?"

Laura nodded firmly.

"If this is Dad's wish, I think everything I've done is worthwhile."

"If you can't make it, just tell me," Liang Di said.

But what Liang Di didn't know was that she should be more worried about herself.