“Sophia, calm your mind.”
Li Andy squeezed Sophia’s palm, not blaming her.
People’s thoughts are inherently difficult to control and easily influenced by external factors.
To achieve a state of single-mindedness at any time requires a certain amount of training.
“Mhm.”
Sophia pursed her lips slightly, took a deep breath to calm herself, then squeezed Li Andy’s palm in return, indicating that she could do it.
Achieving one’s wishes is not omnipotent.
The scope of imagination depends on one’s personal cognition.
She had little experience and was rather dull, so perhaps the danger would be much lower?
Emmm… this was clearly good news, but why couldn’t she feel happy about it?
Li Andy didn’t know what Sophia was thinking; he refocused his gaze on the five Jasmine sisters:
“Alright, can you tell me now the real reason your First Miss went out to sea?”
The five sisters froze simultaneously.
“It’s just… it’s just… trade! Selling… selling things!” the youngest, Six, stammered in reply.
She tried to cover for everyone, unaware that her evasive eyes betrayed them all.
“Sigh…”
Second Miss let out a long sigh,
“There’s no need for us to hide it now; perhaps First Miss has already told the guest everything.”
As she spoke, her gaze fell on Li Andy’s hand, then she subconsciously touched the identical ring on her own finger.
How could… I don’t even know what your First Miss looks like…
Li Andy raised an eyebrow, complaining inwardly.
Seeing his silence, Second Miss slowly began to tell a legendary story.
She said that this world originally had an omnipotent deity who wove the world and created everything, but for unknown reasons, had to fall into a deep slumber.
Therefore, to awaken in the future, the deity distributed their divine authority to several favored mortal souls. And those mortals who gained divine authority were called 【Chosen Ones】.
“Our Jasmine family was once 【Chosen Ones】, and now the divine authority is divided among us. Among us, First Miss holds the most.”
After listening, Li Andy exchanged glances with Youxi.
They speculated that the reason for this legend might be that Jasmine, before recovering her memories, had already realized her 【Mental Image Ability】, and then, due to the fusion with the mental worlds of the other few people, it was “rationalized” into this form.
“This is power, but also a curse… We can’t leave the manor for this reason.”
Second Miss sighed again,
“Once we step out of the manor, our power will go out of control, distorting and harming everything around us.”
“Then what’s the deal with your First Miss?” Li Andy asked.
Second Miss explained:
“First Miss is the only one who can stabilize us. She chose to go out to sea to help us escape the curse of our power.”
“Hmph!”
At this moment, Third Miss, whose face had turned pale from weakness, snorted coldly,
“She didn’t need to take this risk at all! At worst, we just won’t leave the manor for the rest of our lives!”
“But older sister, she hopes to see the outside world…”
The quiet Fourth Miss suddenly spoke, her voice soft but every word clear,
“And all your birthday wishes are related to the outside.”
Third Miss was speechless, pressing her lips together tightly, and finally lowered her gaze, saying nothing.
The reactions of the other sisters also showed varying degrees of guilt.
Li Andy looked at them, but frowned.
He remembered that the youngest, Six, had said that First Miss’s original name was Meilin.
But didn’t Youxi say that Meilin’s goal was to destroy the other personalities of Jasmine?
This and the imagery of 【allowing Jasmine to freely leave the manor】 cannot be said to be unrelated; they can only be said to be completely separate.
Could it be that Meilin was deceiving them?
Or were these five sisters lying?
Or… before entering the study, was Jasmine’s multiple personality in reality already lying??
Li Andy and Youxi exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in each other’s eyes.
As the two pondered and doubted, the air in the conference room became somewhat heavy.
At this moment, Third Miss suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, her body flickering translucently as if about to disappear, then she completely collapsed.
Fortunately, Second Miss and Fourth Miss, who were beside her, reacted in time and supported her, preventing her from falling to the ground.
Second Miss looked at her sister worriedly, then looked up at Li Andy:
“Mr. Andy, perhaps you still have some questions to ask, but my sisters are truly tired now and desperately need some rest.
You and Miss Sophia have also worked hard, so why don’t you also rest for a bit?
There are still many rooms here, and Miss Sophia’s room from when she worked here is still reserved.
Those monsters probably won’t attack for now; just leave the watch to me and Fourth Sister.”
Li Andy thought for two seconds, then nodded.
He felt that the five sisters were all in an unusual state, and he probably wouldn’t get anything out of them now.
Before leaving the conference room, Fifth Miss suddenly called out to Sophia:
“Sister Sophia, you and we are both 【Chosen Ones】, so… you must be extremely careful and not have nightmares casually.”
Sophia was startled for a moment, then looked at Li Andy as if asking a question.
The latter said nothing, only squeezed her palm, then pulled her and Youxi, leaving the conference room.
In the damp corridor, Sophia saw the female housekeeper she used to work with, a sight she hadn't seen in a long time.
She excitedly went forward to greet her, but found that the other party’s expression was dazed and her eyes were blank.
“Ah… it’s Sophia…”
The female housekeeper stiffly forced a smile, “Sorry, I’m not feeling very well right now. If you want to confide or chat, you can find other female… No, you shouldn’t find other maids either, they’re just as unwell as I am.”
Sophia froze, just about to ask why, when she noticed several fish scales on the female housekeeper’s neck.
Her breath hitched, and Youxi beside her suddenly tugged her arm:
“Sophia, this world has changed drastically, everyone is very tired mentally, so let’s not disturb them. Let’s go back and rest first.”
Youxi frowned, looking at the female housekeeper with a hint of hostility. She truly disliked her family putting too much thought into outsiders.
Sophia pursed her lips, nodded, and hooked her other arm around Li Andy, who seemed lost in thought, pulling both of them, and instantly teleported to her former room.
……
Outside, above the deep sea, beneath what was once ten thousand meters high in the sky.
A half-damaged steamship was completely overrun by a group of sea monsters. The surviving, bound people on board watched in horror as a monster with octopus tentacles growing on its face boarded their ship.
“Don’t be afraid… my kin…”
The monster’s voice was hoarse and grating, but still discernible as human language.
“Who’s your kin, you monster!”
The man dressed as a captain roared, staring intently at the monster, the ropes binding him tightening from his struggles,
“Damn it, you don’t even look in a mirror!”
The tentacles on the octopus face wriggled, emitting a “ho ho” laugh:
“Child… look down…”
The captain was internally vigilant, but still subconsciously glanced down, only to discover in horror that his hands and feet had, at some point, turned into wriggling tentacles!
“Child… this is our true form…”
The monster’s voice kept echoing in his mind, and only then did he realize that what he was hearing now was no longer human speech.
“Your so-called human form is merely an image distorted by those evil foreign Dream Masters.”
“Kinsmen… wake up… quickly remember this world’s… true appearance!”
