medium

The undead scattered in large numbers.

They had no choice but to leave. If they really wanted to die rather than surrender, they wouldn't have been trapped here for so long. They wouldn't dare to say a word even if they were eaten as food.

Instead of fighting to the death, they would probably be scared away when they heard someone threatening with a smile, "I don't mind if you stay with it."

Only the person in the mirror, who had been severely injured before, was still staring at him. Mason didn't mind and reached out to open the box.

The beautiful parrot with colorful feathers opened its eyes and looked at each other lazily. Mason rubbed its soft breast feathers, and the bird was not annoyed and combed its feathers by itself.

It was the only light in the darkness, beautiful and radiant. The golden feathers were so attractive that Mason looked at it for a while and asked, "Are you the medium?"

The parrot ignored him. The red-haired young man squatted down and patiently reasoned with it: "Are you a medium or not? Tell me. What if I wrongly accuse an innocent person?"

The parrot finally finished preening its feathers, raised its head and said to him wildly: "Idiot."

Mason: “…”

He reached out and grabbed the parrot's neck. The person in the mirror stared at the scene, his scarlet pupils filled with coldness.

That's right! Just break its neck like this, and as long as you say the name of the winner at the same time, everything here will disappear into thin air, and they will be free!

He watched greedily as those two long fingers, strong enough to cut through metal, grasped the parrot's neck—and then pulled all the feathers upwards in the opposite direction.

In the parrot's incredulous and shocked eyes, the red-haired young man ruthlessly plucked every feather on its body, including the chest feathers that he had just straightened out with great difficulty.

The parrot was so angry that he wanted to vomit blood: "You, you you...!"

"What am I? You are so disrespectful. I am a human and you are a bird. How can we be the same?"

The culprit calmly withdrew his hand and started to speak back. The parrot was so angry that he wanted to peck his hand, but he didn't think about anything else and simply closed his eyes and waited for death: "Come on! I know what you want to do to me! Don't hesitate, give me a quick death!"

Mason raised his eyebrows: "What do I want to do."

"You want to kill me, eliminate the lost here, and rescue your companions. Although that idiot should have died eighty million times, he is right. As long as you kill me and say the name of the victor, the illusion here will dissipate."

The parrot said coldly: "It's the fault of those idiots that you were allowed in here - you don't have memories that can be modified, why do they think I can deal with you?"

The ability of the lost comes from their own obsession. Before death, the victor longs to realize his wish, so in his dream, the cage turns into a splendid castle, and they live happily together forever.

Everyone who comes here will have their memories modified, becoming one of them until they are lost. As the hunger plague spreads, everyone will eventually die here and be devoured by them.

The stronger they are, the easier it is to be polluted. With this in mind, the Black Mist believers who escaped from Ya'an City communicated with their superiors. After learning about the situation with the Worm Mother, they immediately abandoned the wolf pack originally deployed here and applied to transfer the Lost Ones over, intending to give him a big blow while he was being killed and polluted.

——But even if they are lost, they must have a channel to invade, right?

This person's memory is like a fog that cannot be pried open. It can only give the other party the identity of a guest and then pollute him through the resentment of the dead souls.

But this guy ate it, but he was not affected at all! It was not until he saw the blood and hair that the parrot trembled from the bottom of his heart.

"I knew that the Black Mist followers were a bunch of lunatics..." It cursed in a low voice. "They actually let a highly polluting monster like you enter my territory... They have no good intentions at all!"

——Highly polluting monster?

Is Oreius a highly polluting monster?

Mason was slightly stunned. The red-haired young man stroked the parrot's feathers nonchalantly and laughed lightly.

"It seems you have been betrayed by your allies."

"What alliance?" The parrot sneered. "It's just a murderer and another murderer. Everyone has been driven crazy!"

"So..."

The dark golden eyes suddenly reflected the parrot-colored feathers. He stood in the darkness, as if he had completely merged with the black mist. The whisper of temptation lingered in his ears, a cruel and bloody temptation.

"——Do you have any wish?"

"I can help you."

Tick, tick, tick.

Before the parrot could answer, the sound of footsteps descending the stairs was heard.

Her eyes, which were always filled with sorrow, were no longer beautiful, but too cold. Her face was no longer beautiful: ordinary brown hair and brown eyes, slightly thin, and her cheeks were covered with freckles.

Thin, pale, silent. The gorgeous clothes turned into rags, unable to cover the blood and bones in the wounds. The most fatal wound was on the heart, as if the heart was cut out alive, just to give it to someone for atonement.

"That's enough."

The hostess stopped not far away and interrupted their conversation with a cold voice.

“Give me back my husband.”

The peaceful and friendly chat was always interrupted by someone. Aurelius sighed quietly. At this moment, he seemed to be the only owner here. He stood leisurely in the sculpture, waiting for a midnight guest.

The eyes of the undead lit up one by one in the dark mist, full of curses and spookiness. Facing the murderer who killed him, even the most timid soul bared his bloodthirsty fangs.

The young man did not intend to let go. He shook the parrot, and after the hostess came, it suddenly became very quiet.

"You sealed your husband's soul in this parrot?"

"....No."

The hostess was silent for a moment, her face showing fatigue and pain.

"When I regained consciousness, his soul was gone. I tried everything I could to imprison all my enemies, but even so, I couldn't find him. This is just a doll... a doll that carries my thoughts, just like the one outside."

"I'm afraid everything here is fake."

"That's right. The banquet is actually a ritual to spread the madness of the soul. When we were locked in the castle, we had no food and had to rely on others to survive. At first, many people were reluctant to do so, but in the end they were driven crazy by hunger."

She closed her eyes.

"It was an unforgettable experience. My stomach was twitching and shrinking. Even the sight of moss on the corners was a treasure that made me ecstatic. I was so hungry... so hungry that I couldn't help but drool. For three months, everyone went crazy."

"I, I am not innocent either, but I want to live, and I want to be with my husband... He said I was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. We will live together, make money to buy a castle, have two lovely children, enjoy the most delicious banquets and luxurious life. Most importantly, we will have each other..."

"But he lied. No, I lost him."

The hostess looked sad. Since the day of her husband's death, she has been wandering here forever, tortured by pain. The young man looked at her deeply.

"What's up with this statue?"

Following the instructions, the hostess glanced at the statue of the man in the mirror indifferently: "He was the most powerful man at that time. He had been a soldier and built a gang. He took me and threatened me with my husband. Later, when he was at his weakest, my husband and I killed him together."

The outline in the black mist twisted and turned: "You vile woman, ungrateful mad dog, you——"

“——”

The hair around Aurelius shot out and pierced the mad soul directly. Neither of them paid any attention to the person in the mirror. The hostess continued, "I didn't hurt your companion. As long as you return my husband to me, I am willing to let you go. But if you hurt him, don't forget that your companion is in my hands."

Do you believe her?

Aurelius could see no falsehood in her sorrowful expression, so he went up to her and repeated his previous question: "What else do you wish for?"

"...since we entered the castle, we no longer had any desire for such things."

Watching him approaching, the hostess looked gloomy.

"The gods did not save us, and our fellow humans drove us crazy. We accepted the invitation just to get a job and live with dignity. But the only reward for our efforts was despair."

"Life is full of pain, and death is the return of the soul to the dark mist without peace. Every night I can feel Him calling me, and my love for my husband is being worn away little by little. When I return to where He is, not even this little bit will be left.

"What qualifications do I have to have a wish?"

"I'm sorry to hear that."

The red-haired young man stood still and placed the parrot in the other's palm. The person in the mirror was furious and wanted to take the thing away himself: "Don't give it back to her! She will turn into a monster and kill everyone!"

The medium is a thing of obsession, and the lost person whose obsession is awakened will be completely out of control!

The moment they made contact, the parrot's body burst into a fierce black light, which spread rapidly along the woman's arm and quickly merged into it. The high-pitched sound of its bones trembling was like the cry of a bird, and the hostess grinned, with a ferocious expression on her face that was extremely inconsistent with her previous pitiful expression.

The next second, the red thread hidden under the parrot's feathers flew up like a beheading wire and cut her neck.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Mr. Hyman."

Aurelius repeated softly.

Hearing this name, the parrot suddenly widened its eyes, and the flying hair of the hostess was reflected in its pupils...

And the body turned into a decapitated doll.