VAP - Chapter 156
Chapter 156: The Intersection of Illusion and Reality (21)
The interior of the Scarlet Beast nest was far more intricate and complex than its outward appearance suggested.
The two of them and the Scarlet Beast navigated the labyrinthine network of tunnels, occasionally encountering a few low-level Scarlet Beasts on patrol. The creatures would respectfully lower their forebodies to the high-level beast, signaling their submission, yet they turned a blind eye to the two living beings reeking of food that it was leading. This was the strict hierarchy within the Scarlet Beast clans—the lower-ranked could not covet the prey of their superiors, lest they become prey themselves.
Yue Du followed the high-level Scarlet Beast from a safe distance, watching it direct all sorts of questions to the empty space beside it, as if it were deeply concerned about its returning kin.
But from behind, she could see the long, slender, scaled tail growing from its coccyx held high. The tip, shaped like a predator's claw, pointed downward and glinted with a cold, faint light. It didn't look poisonous, but it was exceptionally sharp—it could easily pierce a human vertically, from head to toe.
The tip of its tail was aimed directly at that empty space, its height precisely calculated. In the high-level beast's perception, it was poised right above the heads of the two "kin" who had come seeking refuge.
If even one of their answers during its interrogation of the prey was amiss, the stinger would fall without hesitation, tearing the prey to bloody shreds.
The high-level Scarlet Beast had a fine plan, but unfortunately for it, the two of them weren't actually there. The illusion Ji You had crafted wouldn't allow it to find any flaws, so its stinger was destined to be nothing more than a decoration.
The scene had an indescribably comical feel. Yue Du said to the host beside her, "This Scarlet Beast's features are very distinct. They're identical to the ones in Ji Ruying's messy drawings."
She had seen the scattered wanted posters in Ji Ruying's room and remembered the childish, stick-figure-like graffiti on them. To be fair, Miss Ji had captured the key features quite accurately.
Ji You affirmed, "That's right. This idiot up ahead, holding its tail up so stiffly, should be from the same branch as my Scarlet Beast father."
The defining feature of a Scarlet Beast's appearance was its lack of features, aside from those red eyes. Therefore, if one saw two Scarlet Beasts that looked alike, there was no doubt they were blood relatives—perhaps even siblings from the same litter.
Suddenly, the high-level Scarlet Beast walking ahead stopped. Its probing had yielded satisfactory results. Finally convinced that the two weak, humanoid creatures beside it were its kin, it lowered its raised tail.
"Wait here. You'll be needed when the time comes." It raised a claw, pointing to the cave entrance before them, and added disdainfully, "Since you don't have to disguise yourselves in front of humans, show your eyes. You don't want to be mistaken for ordinary humans and swallowed by someone looking for a meal."
Show their eyes?
Yue Du paused for a moment, then immediately realized it must be referring to the unique scarlet eyes of the Scarlet Beasts. It seemed the mixed-blood kin possessed human appearances but had still inherited the most distinct feature of the Scarlet Beasts. And, they had the ability to conceal it.
Ji You narrowed her eyes slightly, and the illusion changed accordingly. Upon "seeing" the two kin remove their disguises to reveal their red eyes, the high-level Scarlet Beast nodded, flicked its tail arrogantly, and turned to leave.
Yue Du turned her gaze to the place where they were to stay temporarily, her brow furrowing unconsciously.
This was a cave with a relatively spacious interior, but its entrance was narrow and cramped, only allowing a single person to stoop and squeeze through. Larger Scarlet Beasts couldn't enter.
Upon entering the cavern, they saw a group of bound humans separated into two groups on either side. One group wore practical hunting uniforms—clearly captured hunters—while the other consisted of ordinary civilians.
They all had their eyes closed, some sitting and others lying down, with blissful smiles on their faces. The smiles were somewhat unnatural, even a little creepy, giving the impression that they were lost in a beautiful dream from which they were unwilling to wake.
Women and children made up the majority of these people, and the thought of what had led to this situation was chilling.
The Scarlet Beast guarding the cave was of a low level but possessed some intelligence. Seeing that the newcomers had red eyes, it raised a foreclaw and pointed toward the side where the hunters were kept, gesturing for them to stay there.
As they drew closer, the captives in hunter attire remained motionless, their eyes closed and smiles fixed. But the children—some nestled in their arms feeding, others sitting or lying nearby—all opened their eyes in unison.
Scarlet pupils stared fixedly at the newcomers.
All the children here were Scarlet Beast kin, without exception.
Yue Du didn't know how to describe the feeling.
It was like looking into the nursery and food larder of an ant nest, where the ants fed their larvae with the sweet secretions of their prey, only to devour the prey itself once it was no longer useful.
And did the young even know that these living things, unable to speak or move, were their mothers?
The two found a spot at the edge of the cave to sit down. Finding the ground cold and hard, Ji You conscientiously spread out a blanket—which, as it happened, was made of Scarlet Beast fur.
The young half-Scarlet Beasts watched them curiously. Ji You couldn't be bothered to maintain the illusion for these little cubs who couldn't even walk yet. If they wanted to stare, let them stare.
She asked in a low voice, "Sister, are you cold?"
Yue Du wasn't cold, of course, but a moment's thought revealed her host's subtext. She smiled, nodded, and leaned into Ji You's embrace.
Ji You's body temperature was slightly lower than a normal person's, but it still felt warm in the damp, cold cave. The two began to converse softly in this intimate posture.
"Ji Ruying said that Scarlet Beasts reproduce with humans so their mixed-blood offspring can infiltrate the strongholds and secure more food, but is that really necessary?" Yue Du looked at the children, pondered quietly for a moment, then said slowly, "The Scarlet Beasts don't lack food. Setting aside the captives they're raising in this nest, just consider their usual hunts. Even a single high-level Scarlet Beast is enough to make it difficult for small and medium-sized strongholds to defend themselves. They have to abandon some of their people to ensure their own survival, just like what our stronghold experienced. And as for the large strongholds..."
Ji You picked up the thread. "Large strongholds generally don't rely on concealment to avoid the Scarlet Beasts. On the contrary, they use barriers to counterattack and have very strong defenses. Even if a spy managed to infiltrate, it wouldn't have much of an impact, right?"
Yue Du lightly tapped her host's open palm. "That's right."
On the one hand, using mixed-blood kin as spies was not very effective; one could even call it a thankless effort. On the other hand, while some low-level Scarlet Beasts might be short on food, they themselves were potential food for the high-level ones. Yue Du found it hard to believe that high-level Scarlet Beasts would participate in such a plan for the sake of their underlings.
Ji You added, "Ji Ruying was under a truth talisman, so she wouldn't have been deceiving us. She genuinely believes it to be true."
Yue Du said, "But how could she be so certain? Was it her own speculation? Or did she hear it from a Scarlet Beast?"
Ji You's eyes darted around before she shrugged. "Maybe a high-level Scarlet Beast saw she was the only one unaffected by the illusions, thought it was amusing, and made up a lie to tease her."
Yue Du was speechless.
That wasn't entirely out of the question.
Whatever the reason, it was a certainty that the Scarlet Beasts had something to gain by creating mixed-blood offspring; otherwise, they wouldn't go to such great lengths.
Ji You volunteered, "I'll go ask." She meant she would go give that poor, distant relative of hers a good, harsh interrogation.
After a moment's thought, Yue Du said, "Let's hold off for now. We'll wait and see."
The enemy's situation was still unclear, and Yue Du didn't want Ji You to reveal herself just yet. What if this nest was a major settlement for high-level Scarlet Beasts? Her host was always the strongest in any small world, but that didn't mean she could handle a group of high-level Scarlet Beasts with ease.
To be safe, it was better to wait and observe for the time being.
Ji You's heart, itching to unleash her illusions, had nowhere to go. She wanted to say she would be careful, but then she decided that this experience of adventuring with her sister (whether there was any actual danger remained to be seen) was quite nice too. Content, she tightened her embrace around her warm sister and closed her eyes to rest.
Over the next few days, no other Scarlet Beasts came to investigate. The guards at the cave entrance were rotated regularly, but they all lacked sufficient intelligence, so there was nothing to be learned from questioning them.
During this time, Ji You woke one of the captured hunters.
She was a tall woman with slightly dark skin. A star-shaped badge on her chest indicated she was a star-ranked hunter—and she was the only woman here who didn't have a Scarlet Beast kin beside her.
After a brief moment of confusion, the huntress recalled what had happened to her. She didn't lose her composure but suppressed her anger and disgust, nodding to the two before her. "Did you wake me? Thank you."
Ji You said, "No need for thanks. What do you know about this place?"
The huntress was direct. "I don't know much, but I can tell you everything I do. First, though, I need to ask: did you come here on your own, or were you captured by the Scarlet Beasts? Do you have backup?"
Ji You raised an eyebrow. "Obviously the former. My sister and I are enough."
The huntress said calmly, "In that case, I advise you to leave immediately, while you still can. There are far more high-level Scarlet Beasts here than you imagine."
Ji You replied, "Is that so? I was imagining a dozen or so."
The huntress said, "...Then you've probably imagined more than there are."
The conversation paused. The huntress shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't understand what these two were thinking, coming to such a dangerous place on their own, with no backup!
"I'll tell you everything I know, but I hope you'll leave as soon as you've heard it. Since you managed to sneak in, you must have a way to get out."
Ji You and Yue Du exchanged a noncommittal glance. The huntress took it as tacit agreement and began her story.
There were two hunter squads here in total, and the huntress was the captain of one. She and her teammates had been hunting nearby when they were captured alive by a high-level Scarlet Beast and brought back to the nest. After that, she had been unable to break free from the illusion's control.
The huntress herself possessed relatively strong mental fortitude. Though she wasn't a user of the Reality ability, she could occasionally struggle back to consciousness for brief moments.
It wasn't enough time to plan an escape, but it was enough to see what was happening around her. The scenes were so horrific that no one could bear to look closely, yet she forced herself to observe in order to gather information. She was certain there were at least five high-level Scarlet Beasts here.
Ji You mused, "Five of them..."
Ji You turned to Yue Du, took her hand, and gave it a little shake. With that number, there was no risk of failure. She should just go and perform her harsh interrogation.
Yue Du's eyes sent a clear message: Request denied.
She said "at least," which means the actual number is likely higher. Isn't it better to observe from the shadows first?
Watching the two young people argue with their eyes, the huntress assumed they were finally feeling some apprehension and breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, five of them, and possibly more. You should escape quickly before you're discovered. Go to a nearby stronghold and inform the authorities. They'll take care of what comes next."
The nearby stronghold was the Northern Stronghold.
Ji You immediately buried her face in the crook of Yue Du's neck. "Sister, I don't want to."
Yue Du patted her soothingly before turning to the huntress and saying gently, "Thank you for your kind intentions, but since we've come this far, we have ways to protect ourselves. Please don't worry."
"But..." the huntress began, now even more worried.
Judging by their age, they were both very young. She hoped this wasn't a case of fools rushing in where angels fear to tread. If something happened to them, then truly no one would be able to get word out.
She was fraught with worry, but no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't figure out how to persuade them. The two across from her, however, remained perfectly calm. She even heard one of them ask, "Sister, are you hungry?"
The other replied, "It's about time for a meal. Let's eat something."
And so, they produced food from who-knows-where and began to eat as if no one else was there, ignoring the many pairs of scarlet, mixed-blood eyes surrounding them.
The huntress looked down at the packet of jerky in her lap, which the pair had tossed to her. It smelled quite fragrant.
Yue Du smiled. "You must be very hungry. Eat something to regain your strength and calm down a little. We have water, too."
Ji You added, "But we don't have any extra blankets."
"..." The huntress replied with a wooden expression, "No, thank you."
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