Illusion Report

Jin Xueli realized once again that no matter the situation, a small part of her would probably always be detached, her head somewhere in the clouds.

For instance, while she was verbally sparring with Jacqueline, the depths of her mind were churning with several thoughts completely useless to her present circumstances:

'Could it be that the more complex a person's mind is, the more likely they are to develop a Path?'

'Does a person's personality have anything to do with whether they can enter a Nest? Seems like a worthy research topic, doesn't it? Are there Nest scientists?'

'Speaking of personality, was Jacqueline's character a product of her wealthy environment, or did she get rich precisely because she's this type of person?'

Logically, anyone facing a life-or-death situation wouldn't value their own life at just a fraction of their savings—and Jacqueline was no exception.

But Jacqueline's thought process hadn't been paralyzed by the Nest; she was thinking far beyond that single point.

Her nose for opportunity was also extremely keen—so keen it was almost irritating.

"You want to call them?"

Jacqueline took two steps closer to Jin Xueli as she spoke. Her gaze passed over Jin Xueli's shoulder to the public phone booth, and a look of dawning realization flickered across her face.

"Yes—no, not really... It's complicated, anyway." Jin Xueli rubbed the bridge of her nose forcefully. "I haven't decided yet."

"But you want their contact information," Jacqueline said.

It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

Jin Xueli took a deep breath in tacit agreement.

"Isn't that perfect? We can help each other."

Jacqueline had no idea what the true cost of her piecemeal negotiation was. Under normal circumstances, her strategy could be considered quite clever and insightful; if she were a Hunter, she'd surely be a good one.

The current situation, however, was as far from "normal" as one could get.

Jacqueline couldn't have imagined that every word she spoke dripped with irony for Jin Xueli.

"I'll tell you how to call them, and you get me out of here. Isn't that the perfect arrangement for both of us? On top of that, I'm willing to give you a thank-you fee—if two hundred and fifty thousand isn't enough, how about three hundred and fifty thousand?"

"Can't you afford the nine million?" Jin Xueli couldn't help but ask.

'After all, there are different levels of wealth, right?'

"After my husband passed away, my liquid assets took a sharp dip. Nine million would be a strain, but I could still come up with it," Jacqueline said, her voice almost calm.

"Then why are you..."

Jacqueline shook her head and gave a small smile.

"You know, whether a person can escape a mundane fate and achieve financial freedom depends on one critical factor, aside from a healthy dose of luck: their mindset."

"What does that have to do with you trying to survive?"

"I was thrown into a very strange place. I haven't eaten in two days, I'm hungry and scared, I've cried several times, and I desperately want to go home... All of that is true. That's why I'm willing to offer three hundred and fifty thousand to have someone escort me home."

She walked to the side of the road, hugging her arms tightly and repeatedly scanning in every direction. Jin Xueli's mind was in turmoil, and it took her a few seconds to realize that while Jacqueline had temporarily suppressed her fear, she hadn't forgotten to remain vigilant of her surroundings.

"But over these last two days, I've gradually figured out some of the rules here. I know how to keep myself alive. Otherwise, I'd already be dead, wouldn't I?"

Jacqueline glanced back at Jin Xueli.

"After I fell in here, I was terrified that whoever threw me in would come looking for me. So even though the fall left me completely dazed, I just kept running for my life..."

"I think I've figured it out now. In areas with a high chance of monsters, you have to sprint through without stopping for anything. But if you run all the time, you risk attracting their attention, so you also have to hide when necessary. You have to alternate between the two based on the situation."

'It's a shame she isn't a Hunter,' Jin Xueli thought.

'No, it's probably not just that Jacqueline is so adaptable. The bounty said to avoid killing her if possible—so maybe the inhabitants who saw her just restrained themselves, which is how she got the chance to escape?'

"First, I can keep myself alive. Second, you aren't the first human I've seen, and I imagine you won't be the last."

Jin Xueli was surprised. "Then why didn't you have someone else lead you out earlier?"

"I was by a river, where they had one of those coin-operated binoculars for tourists. I used it to look for other people and actually found some—a whole group of them. The only problem was they were on the opposite bank, and by the time I made it across the bridge, they were long gone."

'A group... They must have been Household Hunters from a Family Faction, working together.'

Jacqueline was right. She hadn't been in the Nest for long; if she stayed a few more days, she would meet plenty of other humans.

"I can ensure my own survival, and you're not the only potential 'service provider' available. This situation isn't the same as a kidnapper demanding a ransom. There's no reason I should pay whatever you ask, because the negotiating power is in my hands."

Jacqueline glanced at the ground, picked up the wedding ring Jin Xueli hadn't touched, and slipped it back on her finger.

"Do you know how I see this? Fundamentally, this is an unforeseen expenditure. As long as the risk is minimized, the cost should be, too. For example, a wealthy man whose son has been kidnapped, no matter how frantic he is, would never offer to pay *more* than the ransom to speed things up, right? That's because the kidnapper's price is already the lowest possible cost under the minimal-risk premise. It's the same principle here."