Illusion Report

’...How interesting,’ Fu Tailan thought.

Carter Morgan’s face always reminded one of a pig. He had been forced to look at it so many times he’d grown sick of it. Just a few minutes ago, there was only one thing Fu Tailan wanted to do: shove a lit cigarette into his eye.

Now, however, that same face had become Fu Tailan’s greatest source of amusement.

"Stop laughing!"

Carter was anxious, furious, and terrified, yet his eyes still shone with a burning intensity. It was like a starving man catching the scent of a feast on the wind—for the first time, such a raw, powerful emotion appeared on his well-maintained, smooth, pink face.

"Did you hear me? I told you to stop laughing! What is this ’Nest Dominance Game’? Explain yourself—"

Carter gasped, wiping away the spittle that had sprayed from the corner of his mouth. "Dominance... dominance over what? The Nest? Really? It can’t be the Nest, right? How... how can a human..."

Fu Tailan’s laughter gradually subsided. He caught his breath and shot Carter a glance.

"...It’s exactly what you think."

The moment the words "Nest Dominance Game" left his lips, it was as if a switch had been flipped, sending Carter’s eyebrows shooting upward. Even as he feigned suspicion, he couldn’t suppress the flush rising to his cheeks.

"Your understanding is correct. The first person to collect all seven Illusions will gain dominion over the Nest."

Every piece of information Fu Tailan carefully released from then on was like another twist of a control knob.

With every sentence Fu Tailan artfully delivered, Carter’s face would first burn bright red with greed, then his eyes would widen in shock. He’d only heard a few sentences, but the muscles in his cheeks were already twitching, and his lower lip was slick with saliva.

Fu Tailan could think of no better way to describe him than an impatient breeding hog that had just spotted its target.

"...A pity,"

Just as Carter was practically radiating heat, Fu Tailan said with a smile, "This whole business has nothing to do with you or me anymore. The ship sailed long ago, and you were left standing on the shore like a fool."

The expression on Carter’s face froze.

"You think you’re pretty smart, don’t you? Going after my father, taking the Illusion, using him to blackmail me? And what happened? Because I no longer had the Illusion, I was disqualified."

Carter glared at him, his pasty-white eyelids ringed with brownish-yellow lashes.

"Listen to me," Fu Tailan said, flashing him a smile that was almost sympathetic. "You have personally and thoroughly destroyed your only chance to get near the Nest Dominance Game."

It took a full ten seconds for Carter to react.

"Impossible," he said, sitting up straight again and regaining a shred of his dignity. "Impossible... What proof do you have?"

It wasn’t clear if he wanted proof of the Nest Dominance Game’s existence or proof of Fu Tailan’s disqualification. At this point, it made no difference.

Fu Tailan tossed his phone to him, and Carter snatched it out of the air. He looked down, his gaze instantly glued to the last three notifications.

...When he finally looked up, Fu Tailan wanted to tell him to freeze so he could take a picture of the expression on his face.

People of Carter’s class so rarely get the chance to be mocked by fate. His expression right now was an absolute delight to behold.

"As for that key, you can keep it, Mr. Morgan."

Fu Tailan spoke as he threw back the covers. He dragged his heavy, aching body to the edge of the bed and planted his feet on the floor. "And don’t you worry. I’ll be sure to let everyone know that you’ve taken my place as a contestant and started hunting for the target Illusions."

"Wait, I haven’t become a contestant at all..."

"The Nest isn’t a pig farm, so of course it has no interest in you. But Chaisi Monroe doesn’t know that, does he?" Fu Tailan suddenly asked, "By the way, have you ever met Chaisi Monroe in person?"

Carter was taken aback.

"You’ve heard of his reputation, right? And you asked the doctor about my injuries?" Fu Tailan said with a smile. "Someone who could wound me this badly... how long do you think you’d last against him? When an Illusion Hunter is tracking you, trying to assassinate you, do you really think your bodyguards will be enough?"

He hadn’t told Carter any of the details—for instance, that contestants can see the roster of participants who joined before them, or that they might have other ways of knowing who all the current players are.

Since Carter didn’t know these details, he had no way of determining that Chaisi would be able to tell whether or not he was a real contestant.

Carter’s lips were pressed into a thin line, his gaze stuck to Fu Tailan’s phone, unable to tear away.

"The Nest Dominance Game is none of my business anymore, but if you don’t want me to tell every single contestant where to find the key... Oh, did I forget to mention? There are over a dozen contestants, and they are all quite the handful."

Fu Tailan got out of bed and stood by Carter’s chair, one hand still connected to an IV drip. The tube stretched taut in midair.

He no longer liked the expression on Carter’s face.

Carter’s expression was not one of fear or worry. He was still staring fixedly at the phone’s screen, his eyes bulging.

The emotion twisting his features was closer to greed and resentment.

Fu Tailan was well aware that his threats were a mix of bluffs and reality and lacked any sense of immediate urgency. If he couldn’t make Carter afraid, how could he make him back down?

Nevertheless, he continued, "If you don’t want to die, send my father home. Then, make sure I see that case with the woman’s body solved and closed. As for the employment contract between us, consider it void as of tonight."

Carter slowly raised his head, as if only just now hearing his voice.

"Void?"

Fu Tailan looked down at him.