Chapter 484 - 425: Fu Tailan: An Egg Against a Rock, Tofu Against a Car

Chapter 484: Chapter 425: Fu Tailan: An Egg Against a Rock, Tofu Against a Car

What in the world was going on tonight?

Things had started off as a golden opportunity. All he had to do was stick to the plan, and he’d see Fu Han in no time—but then Chaisi had hit him with a car.

After a great deal of effort, he’d turned the situation around, using the residents to tie up Chaisi, and had stripped Carter of all his advantages. But then a Nest had suddenly descended from the sky, slapping a protective rule on him... Was this fair?

A beneficial rule like this, one that actually helped humans, was something a Hunter might never encounter in a Nest even if they exhausted all their efforts. Yet Carter just limped around for two minutes and it fell right into his lap?

Fu Tailan squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to calm down.

’If I think about it carefully, maybe the situation isn’t as bad as it could be.’

The rules that had fallen into the Human World like threads of rain were all scattered. They were all over the place, and none of them connected.

Besides, Carter wasn’t in a Nest script or a Nest trap. With just a single rule, maybe it couldn’t be used to its full potential?

For instance, even if Carter’s leg was healed and he couldn’t be harmed again, this still wasn’t a Nest script—it was the Human World. There weren’t any residents nearby to administer a trap. Who was going to give him a weapon?

’The more I think about it, the more this analysis makes sense.’

’Yes, there’s still a chance—’

"Carter Morgan?"

Fu Tailan, crouching behind a car, shuddered.

’...No way.’

Fu Tailan cursed under his breath as he looked up.

Just as he’d feared... a hybrid of a human face and a glass window was slowly extending down from the Nest that hung inverted in the sky.

A resident’s body was standing on the roof of an office building inside the Nest. It was holding a rope with both hands, lowering its own head into Blackmoor City like a hanging basket.

This so-called "head" was actually a large, thick pane of glass. At first glance, it looked like a piece of glass art with a face etched into it—except the face could open its mouth to speak and its eyes could look around. And at the top of the glass was the number "3".

"Carter Morgan, please come to Window 3 to receive your benefits."

Carter was dumbfounded.

When the glass face hovered in the sky above him, his first instinct was to run. But just as he turned, he realized what it had said and asked blankly, "What... what benefits did you say?"

"An Illusion and a weapon," said the glass face. "The duration is one hour. These are the benefits you are entitled to under the protection of the ’Humane Act’."

If he wasn’t afraid of giving away his position, Fu Tailan would have slammed his head against the car door.

’I shouldn’t have let Carter walk ahead of me!’

’If I’d been the one in front, that rule would have fallen on me. How much could I have gotten done in an hour?’

"R-really?"

Carter couldn’t believe his own luck. His small, round, deep-set eyes glittered with a moist sheen. "What kind of Illusion can you give me? What weapon?"

"The weapon is a SIG .32 handgun. There is no choice."

’Wait, does that mean for the Illusion—’

"You may choose one of the next three Illusions that will be displayed. Once you have chosen, your decision cannot be changed."

Fu Tailan pinched the corners of his eyes, repeatedly reminding himself that he still had the electrical outlet Illusion. It could "turn off" whatever Illusion and handgun Carter chose. However, as a top-tier Hunter, Fu Tailan knew better than anyone that no Illusion’s effect was "absolute."

’There are definitely things the outlet Illusion can’t turn off...’

’Judging by my luck tonight, the situation doesn’t look good.’

"W-wait, I don’t even know what they do..." Carter started to cry out, then shut his mouth.

Because Window 3, the glass face, had already begun its introductions one by one.

"Illusion One: Task Resident. Its twin app in the Human World is called TaskRabbit, which allows you to hire someone to complete a temporary job for you. Using this Illusion, you can also hire a resident to come to your side and complete one task you assign."

"Note: Humans protected by the ’Humane Act’ can hire one resident for free. In exchange, however, you lose the right to choose the resident. You had better pray that the randomly selected resident who appears at your side happens to be capable of fulfilling your request."

From across the dark street and half a sidewalk, Fu Tailan could hear Carter’s breathless, excited gasps.

In the semicircular opening below the glass face, an electronic screen appeared—that must be the Illusion. The words "Place Order" glowed on the screen.

’If it’s an Illusion you have to hold and operate... the outlet should be able to turn it off, right?’

As he thought this, Fu Tailan pulled the outlet from the small of his back and glanced at it quickly.

He had intended to see if an option for "Task Resident" would appear on the outlet. But one look, and he froze.

’How could it be—?’

Task Resident hadn’t appeared on the outlet, perhaps because it was still being held by the resident and was too far away. By the same logic, the SIG .32 handgun hadn’t appeared either.

But the other thing he saw—what was that?

"Illusion Two: Resident Meal. Don’t worry, this is not a meal made from residents, nor is it a meal that residents normally eat."

The electronic tablet behind the glass window vanished, replaced by a bowl of food—it was actually a normal-looking, fragrant, and colorful poke bowl. But it was only the size of a child’s bowl, looking like it could be finished in a few bites.

"Once you have it, as long as you haven’t finished eating it, no external force can spill it, nor do you have to worry about it being taken from you."

As if it had seen right through Fu Tailan’s thoughts in that instant, the glass window’s calm voice shattered his hopes.

"I... I really have to eat it?" Carter asked.

"Of course. Once you eat it, it will immediately take effect inside your body, granting you the power of an average resident."

Just as one would expect from a Nest resident, its command of human language was clumsy. Carter paused, confused, and asked, "What?"

"You will have the power of a resident," the glass window said, sounding a bit impatient. "But the level of power you obtain will only be that of an average resident, meaning the median level of a resident. Your English is terrible."

Carter held back a retort, scanned the street, and then said, "What’s the next one?"

He had already glanced around several times since the glass window descended—but Fu Tailan could tell it wasn’t a wary, defensive scan.

It was the scan of someone afraid Fu Tailan would take the opportunity to escape.

’...In other words, Carter has realized he can’t control or tame me. He’s made up his mind to finish me off tonight, to pull out the problem by the roots.’

Fu Han was in the apartment building right behind Carter.

No matter how unfavorable the situation was for him, Fu Tailan couldn’t leave.

And Carter knew that just as well.

"Illusion Three: Landscape Resident Tank."

As it spoke, a small, round fishbowl appeared behind the glass window. There was no water in the bowl; instead, it contained several miniature building models.

Even though the glass window was positioned right between two lampposts, when Fu Tailan squinted, he could only vaguely make out a few tiny figures walking around between the model buildings.

"The Landscape Resident Tank is suitable for display in any corner of a home, and also works as a personal accessory. When you hold it in your hand, you can borrow the special ability of any resident in the tank. When others look at you, they will only see you as a resident."

"However, it should be noted that because the residents in the landscape tank are only 1/30th of their original size, the ability you can borrow will also only be 1/30th of its original power."

Carter clicked his tongue, sounding extremely dissatisfied. "One-thirtieth? What’s the use of something so weak?"

All three of these Illusions were precious items that were normally impossible to find. Only someone like Carter, who had never even seen a single resident in his life, could say something so foolish.

"The introduction of your benefits is now complete. They are only benefits, so their quality is limited. After your one-hour protection period ends, the Illusion and the handgun will also reach their limit and turn to dust. Please choose an Illusion now."

Fu Tailan could only peek out every so often. It was only now that he realized the handgun had somehow already appeared in Carter’s hand.

The words "SIG .32 Handgun" had materialized next to a small switch on the outlet.

’So I really can turn off Carter’s gun...’

Fu Tailan couldn’t draw much comfort from this.

His mind was entirely focused on a switch at the very end of the outlet. Fu Tailan stared at it, momentarily unsure of what to do.

"Hey, Fu Tailan!" Carter suddenly shouted, then laughed. "Which one do you think I should choose? Don’t think I want to use an Illusion to kill you. Don’t get the wrong idea."

He paused, then said, "I want to kill both you and your good-for-nothing dad."

After speaking, Carter’s gaze returned to the glass window.

He wasn’t the least bit on guard—because for the next hour, no, for the next fifty-something minutes, he was invincible.

’As long as he doesn’t pick the Resident Meal, I should be able to turn off the other two Illusions... As for how to indirectly force Carter to choose the Resident Meal, I have an idea for that, too.’

’The most urgent thing is to not let Carter get any abilities—wait.’

Fu Tailan was lying on the ground. He had just raised his gun and aimed it at the sidewalk when he suddenly realized he had almost made a mistake.

’No—no, I can’t take this shot.’

’Wait, has the situation really pushed me this far? Do I really have to risk my life just for a sliver of hope of winning?’

’No, calling it a ’hope of winning’ is naive.’

He only knew how the final step of the plan was supposed to go. But as for how he was supposed to survive until that final step, Fu Tailan had no idea.

Because it wasn’t something that lies or intellect could help with.

"Hmm... I’ll choose the Landscape Resident Tank," Carter said. "Even a special ability at 1/30th power should be more useful than just brute strength, right?"

When he took the small, round fishbowl in his hand, Fu Tailan saw that, just as he’d expected, "Landscape Resident Tank" had appeared on the outlet—it was indeed an Illusion that could be turned off.

However, for Fu Tailan, this was already meaningless.

No matter which Illusion Carter chose or what power-up he received, Fu Tailan had no other choice but to face him with his own pain-racked body.

He had one, and only one, plan, however incomplete it might be.

To carry out this plan, Fu Tailan couldn’t turn anything off—he couldn’t turn off the Landscape Resident Tank, he couldn’t turn off Carter’s gun, and he certainly couldn’t turn off the apartment building behind Carter.