Is the World You See Real

The emotional state of the Johnson quartet was like a roller coaster ride, as complex as a pie chart.

One-third was a joyous relief at having survived an ordeal, two-thirds were anger and dissatisfaction at being deceived, and the remaining five-thirds were a mix of emotions akin to attempting to steal a chicken but ending up losing the rice.

They felt as though they had donned a rainbow explosion headpiece and applied exaggerated makeup.

Qi Yuan seemed to have written a word on their foreheads

—Clowns!

Was it really necessary to toy with them like this?

They had merely formed a secret group behind Dragon Country's back...

Although they harbored surging and raging emotions that wanted to condemn Qi Yuan's entire family, the circumstances were stronger than they were.

The Monster finally reacted, floating back a distance and warily regarding Qi Yuan, Hong Feiheng, and the third person, especially Hong Feiheng and Qi Yuan.

Of these three, it only knew one person's ability, while the other's power was unfathomable.

It scrutinized these two individuals, ultimately focusing on Qi Yuan.

If the redhead's ability was clairvoyance, he should not have had this expression.

And this led back to the original starting point.

"An illusion-based Superhuman... why can he accurately find me..."

Hearing the Monster's inner voice, Qi Yuan had been silent since the beginning.

If anyone else could have been accused, he was truly at a loss.

He was like a student preparing for an important exam, only to find the test question was "What is one plus one?"

He had prepared painstakingly, but the other side was saying...

Here I come!

And while other countries were engaging in their own shenanigans by forming small groups, he was being blamed for everything.

Although he was the one benefiting, he still felt unusually displeased.

However, those matters could wait until later for settlement; for now, he should complete this easy question.

Without much effort, he stared at the Monster for a few seconds, then calmly said,

"Is the world you see the real world?"

Qi Yuan suppressed a smile at the corner of his mouth, appearing to others as an enigmatic, almost-smiling figure.

They glared at him angrily, confirming it was this guy causing trouble.

The Monster was startled, more concerned about another point than the meaning of Qi Yuan's words.

"How does he know what I'm thinking?"

This new doubt had barely formed when it heard Qi Yuan speak again.

"In my domain, what is it that I cannot accomplish?"

"For example, now, all of you can understand what I'm saying."

That one sentence roused them from their dream-like state, leaving the Priest quartet at a loss for words.

Although they did not claim to have experienced everything in the world, they considered themselves well-traveled and worldly-wise.

Yet now, everything exceeded their imagination.

They had fought tooth and nail, only to be told it was all an illusion.

Who could accept that?

"His domain!?"

Aside from its astonishment, the Curse Monster also sensed a connection between the domain and itself.

"The connection is still there, but why is it his domain?"

"Could it be..."

It stared blankly at its palm, its thoughts in disarray.

The sensations, the power, and the weakened state after the battle all felt so vivid...

Yet the brain, based on the dialogue and "coincidences," analyzed another answer.

"I'm under an illusion, this world is fake?!"

It was caught in an inner conflict, its physical senses and mental processes split apart.

It's impossible for it to be fake!

Why?

But...

There were no "buts," otherwise how could all the abnormalities be explained?

"If I'm truly in his illusion, he should be able to hear me now, right?"

"When did I fall under the illusion?"

Until now, the Monster remained skeptical, probing once more.

"From the very beginning."

Qi Yuan answered profoundly, his brilliant golden eyes regarding the Monster like a deity observing an insect, as if all secrets were exposed before him.

Beneath his radiant and serene exterior, however, lay a sarcastic heart.

How would I know when?

Whenever you think it was, then that's when it was...

Upon hearing this, the Monster began attributing all the irrational behaviors to Qi Yuan.

"So I did fall under an illusion, no wonder despite knowing there were five people, I still harbored murderous intent when only four showed up..."

No... that was you getting carried away yourself, it has nothing to do with me.

Don't pin everything on me!

At the moment the Curse Monster truly believed it had fallen under an illusion, Qi Yuan felt an unceasing flow of power surge towards him.

Was this the power of an SSS-level Superhuman?

No, this was an enhanced SS-level power.

Qi Yuan carefully savored the sensation brought by this power, but he felt it was still lacking.

With this power, he might be able to kill an SSS-level being, but he would be unable to deal with domains.

This power was only strong, unable to provide him with more information.

It showed that this Monster did not truly understand what an authentic SSS-level being was like, and was merely imagining it, just like him.

Since he could not extract any more value, this easy question was useless.

He might as well resolve the matter quickly.

He extended his power, silently pulling them into the illusion realm, replacing the real scene, while those lost in their own thoughts remained oblivious.

In their view, only Qi Yuan was speaking, and from the Monster's reaction, he was not talking to himself.

"In my domain, what is it that I cannot accomplish?"

This sentence echoed in their minds like shattering a rock, destroying their worldview.

Surely he didn't know what they were thinking now, did he?

Without the Monster's half of the dialogue, Qi Yuan's final statement, "From the very beginning," was completely incomprehensible.

They scratched their heads, utterly bewildered.

Whether the Monster lived or died no longer mattered; they were more concerned about the encrypted conversation's content.

With the information, they could be prepared for Qi Yuan next time.

Otherwise, they would always feel a chill down their spines, never knowing when they might become his random source of amusement again.

The Monster had no mind for such concerns; it searched its memory to determine at which point the illusion had begun, so it could find a way to break free.

It had tried all available methods, even some virtual methods from human works, but nothing could dispel the illusion.

Until it recalled the first time it saw Qi Yuan through a screen.

In the video, Qi Yuan casually glanced in the direction of the camera, his gaze devoid of warmth and yet not as vacant as a virtual avatar, as if he could see through the screen to the being watching.

From the very beginning...

So early?

It had not noticed at all...

The Monster's artificial voice carried a sense of despair rather than schadenfreude.

"I fell under the illusion the moment I saw you in the video, didn't I?"

Qi Yuan remained silent, smiling, afraid that if he opened his mouth, he would recall something amusing and ruin his image.

This demeanor was interpreted by the others as tacit confirmation.

Upon hearing this, the Priest quartet finally understood the reason for their predicament.

Although they were teammates, Hong Feiheng could not help but silently muse,

He had heard of Monsters infecting humans through the internet, but never of a human controlling a Monster online.

So powerful, are you a Monster yourself?