Selena maintained her composure.
She simply refused to believe that, as the chief illusionist of the Protos Empire and a professional psychological researcher, she couldn't handle this potential lunatic.
Inside the room, by the terrace.
"Does Young Master have nothing else you wish to do today? Something about yourself, perhaps?"
Selena stood not far from Lanqi once more, asking with a smile.
Judging by the state of mind this youth displayed, he seemed completely free of clinging regrets toward his past, showed no anxiety about his future, and remained undisturbed by present matters. He was unbothered by others' opinions, saw all living beings as equal, had penetrated the mysteries of life and death, and had found the meaning of existence.
Could anyone in this world truly possess such a mindset?
If such a person truly existed, they would be so upright it looped back around to sinister—it was genuinely chilling!
The Protos Empire certainly had no such freak; otherwise, she couldn't possibly have never heard his name.
Suppressing a twisted smile, Selena was certain she would find this youth's flaw.
She absolutely could not let this delicacy slip through her fingers. Arduous though the process might be, if she could tear away his veneer and expose his true inner self to witness his most agonized past, it would surely bring her unprecedented pleasure and fulfillment.
"I am already doing what I want to do," the youth replied calmly.
"No... no, Young Master, you might have misunderstood me."
Selena's thoughts raced. What was this guy avoiding? What memory was he burying?
"I mean, if whatever you wished for could come true, would you still only want to spend a quiet day here?" she asked, adjusting her tactic once more.
The youth seemed to think of something and hesitated briefly.
Joy and anticipation surged within Selena's heart as she fought to keep the corners of her lips from twitching.
Did she find it?
Soon, she would see what ugly, mangled flesh lay beneath this dazzling exterior.
And yet, facing this near-direct question, the youth spoke with a voice gentle and resonant, every word like a carefully chosen melody that stirred an inexplicable chord in Selena's heart.
"It is precisely because everything I wished for has already come true that I am spending a quiet day here.
"What about you?"
He turned his head. His green eyes seemed to pierce right into the human soul.
When he gazed at Selena, she felt as though her thoughts were being gently led along.
"Me?" Selena murmured, dazed.
She had never seen such a look before—it was as though someone wanted to share something with her.
Yet in all her life, she had never truly received such a thing.
The youth nodded.
"I want you to be happy too. Is there anything I can help you with?" he added with quiet certainty.
Selena was thrown completely off balance, at a loss for how to answer.
Why, in this person's gentle dreamland, was he still thinking about bestowing gentleness upon someone else?
What his mind depicted was an ideal realm devoid of suffering and conflict.
Could it be that this world wasn't born to mend some inner trauma, but was rather an ideal world he wished to realize, despite knowing full well it was impossible?
Selena felt an unprecedented calm and serenity, as if this world truly were an ideal sanctuary.
Yet it also made her instinctively sense danger.
No.
As the conversation with the youth deepened, Selena felt more and more that her thoughts were orbiting his will.
It felt as though she were being led by the nose. Clearly she was the one in control, yet her own emotions were constantly being swayed by him.
Just now, she had nearly been taken in.
Nothing in this world exceeded her comprehension.
That was precisely how she kept her heart steadfast, ruthless, and decisive, preventing herself from sinking into this Gentle Land of the Fallen.
"To serve Young Master is my happiness and my duty. You needn't worry about me."
Selena strove to maintain a gentleness she didn't possess even in reality, feigning the guise of a meek, kind, and professional maid.
She had to steer the topic back to him. She couldn't let him derail her. She needed to restart her probing and go another round with him.
Upon hearing her words, the youth finally set down his paintbrush and looked at her intently.
"That won't do. How could it be right if everyone in the world is happy, yet you alone are not?"
"...?"
Hearing this, Selena froze where she stood.
...She wasn't happy?
"What... are you talking about?" Selena squeezed out a polite smile.
"A person who is truly happy rarely dwells on whether others are happy, which is why I care very much about you right now," the youth replied.
It was genuine pity—not singled out for her, but extended toward anyone who appeared in this world.
"No, I am very happy." Selena gripped the tray tightly. She couldn't understand what this gaze meant, or perhaps she simply couldn't stomach this piercing look that made her skin crawl.
Watching the misfortune of others on Basement Level 4 brought her boundless joy. How could she not be happy?
"If your life were truly fulfilled, why would you need even a shred of pity?"
The youth's voice echoed in her ears, refusing to dissipate.
"Since my words move you, it means you need my help. You yearn to continue speaking with me to understand the life you yourself cannot fathom."
His words seemed to possess a strange magic that made one forget their original purpose and self, leaving their heart churning with unrest.
It was true that because of her own misfortune, she loved seeing the misfortune of others.
Yet for the first time, she realized that in this blissful world, she was like a clown—the only unhappy soul in existence.
Could it be that in the real world, in this person's eyes, she was truly such a pathetic creature in need of help?
"You're a fucking lunatic!! Sink into the dream already!! I don't need your pity!!"
Beside herself with rage, Selena clenched her fists, leaned forward, and shrieked.
How could such a saint exist—someone with not a shred of trauma or deep-seated desire, whose only wish was for everyone else to find happiness?!
Disgusting! Disgusting, sickening to the core!!
How could someone like this exist?!
Why did someone like this exist?!
Selena snapped back to her senses, freezing in place. Speaking so openly would make him realize this was a dream.
Yet why hadn't the dream collapsed?
"..."
Hearing her outburst, the youth showed little surprise. He simply sat before the canvas, his leisurely brushstrokes unbroken.
"As expected... this place is indeed a dream world," the youth murmured to himself, his back to her, a placid smile lingering at the corner of his lips. "I knew this world was full of flaws. A perfect world truly does not exist. It cannot be constructed, and it is a dream I am destined never to realize... I had wanted to play along a bit longer to see where its limits lay."
With that, he finished his final stroke and stretched before the easel, as though preparing to return to reality.
"What... what on earth are you?"
Selena had no time to tend to the tangled mess of her emotions. She was finally certain that the fellow before her was utterly unnatural!
From the very beginning, he might have merely been playing along with her—or rather, playing along with this Gentle Land of the Fallen.
As a Tier 7 illusionist, she knew full well how magnificent this demon spell was. It stood among the very pinnacles of illusion magic.
Any demon capable of breaking free from the Gentle Land of the Fallen upon first contact had to be a psychopathic monster, far exceeding the limits of human reason and even demon logic.
Yet this guy—
Basement Level 4 was the trial of a great demon. Why did it feel as though you were the one putting it on trial?
Chapter 405