Bab 7: Chapter 7: Runes and Strange Puppets
Su Lun's gaze also gradually became serious.
Because his own hand had picked up a fork and was spearing a large chunk of bloody meat, bringing it towards his mouth.
If he didn't think of a way...
He knew that if he didn't find the breaking point, he would eventually be played to death by that "ghost species."
....
The terrifying mansion, the eerie dolls, a ghost species that enjoyed tormenting humans...
Su Lun's thoughts spun rapidly.
Suddenly, he had an epiphany, "If the strangeness in this room has the easy ability to kill us, yet hasn't... it implies that the 'strangeness' possesses intelligence, and not a low one at that."
The monster having intelligence was a good thing for him.
The real dilemma would be if the monster only knew how to kill out of instinct.
Fighting was definitely not an option.
But based on his experience from thousands of horror games and movies, as long as the NPC has intelligence, it's possible to gain plot twists (clues) through conversation.
The study, the hallway, the banquet hall... The clues in his mind suddenly connected from beginning to end.
Su Lun felt that he might have found the key to breaking the game!
"Phew..."
He exhaled in his heart.
Su Lun decided to give it a try.
At that moment, his expression suddenly became stern, and he spoke a seemingly nonsensical sentence to the void, "Miss Pestoya, may I talk to you?"
...
As soon as he spoke out, it was as if time had stopped.
His own right hand that was bringing meat to his mouth also froze mid-air.
Hearing this, Baldy, who was not far away and eating with his mouth full of blood, was clearly startled, not understanding why Su Lun suddenly said such an inexplicable thing.
However, at that moment, a response came from the void, "Eh... how do you know my name?"
It was still that same deep, eerie old lady's voice from before.
He guessed correctly!
Upon hearing this, Su Lun immediately realized his reasoning was spot on.
Previously, Marcus had said that when the "ghost species" found them, it didn't kill them straight away, rather, it played a hide-and-seek game...
If you obey the game rules, you can survive temporarily; if you violate the rules, you will be killed immediately.
It was the same with the current situation: the ghost could easily kill them, yet it chose to "play."
This also proved that the "ghost species" was not old; or rather, its mental age was not old.
And at the dining table, besides the corpses, there were only three dolls, a gentleman in a suit, a lady of high society, and a young woman. The gentleman seated at the head of the table clearly represented a family of three.
Su Lun had felt a sense of familiarity with the three when he had observed them earlier at the table.
Upon closer thought, it reminded him of the family portrait he had seen on the wall of the study.
In the portrait, these three were prominently featured.
And there was actually a fourth person in that photo.
A little girl holding a teddy bear!
So... the rest wasn't hard to guess: the butler called it "the master," and it enjoyed bloody pranks, then the identity of the "ghost species" could only be that little girl.
And beneath that photo, there was exactly one name labeled, "Pestoya Isaac!"
...
Su Lun did not answer that question but instead said directly, "May I have a chat with you?"
Although he did not know what the "ghost species" was, he presumed it was somewhat similar to the "ghost" he had in mind.
```
Moreover, now that he knew she had the mentality of a young girl, the space for conversation (and trickery) was vast.
So, first, he needed to pique her interest.
He added, "I can tell many interesting stories, dance, sing, perform shadow plays, puppet shows... I think, Miss Pestoya would like that..."
....
Once the words left his mouth, silence settled in the room for a while.
Su Lun had thought that things needed a little more time, but at that moment, the scene around him suddenly changed from the banquet hall to a girl's bedroom, decorated in soft pink hues.
At the work desk by the window, a little girl in a princess dress was tinkering with some doll parts.
She seemed to be concentrating on assembling a doll covered with runes. Without turning her head, she asked upon hearing the noise, "How did you know my name without saying so?"
Her voice was soft and youthful, sounding sweet and sticky to the ear.
The first step was a success!
He had successfully captured her interest.
While Su Lun quickly took in everything in the room, he said, "I saw a photo with your name on it when I was in the study..."
He spoke as calmly as possible, fearing that he might anger her.
Because he knew that this seemingly harmless little girl in front of him had a "twisted psyche" capable of torturing humans for fun.
The little girl asked again, " How did you find me back in the study?"
Clearly, she was referring to the nutcracker incident.
Su Lun took this as a good sign, at least she initiated conversation. He replied, "Because I noticed that the eyes of the doll moved."
" Oh, I see." The little girl replied.
Upon hearing this, she slowly put down the rune-covered doll in her hands.
It was as if time stood still for a moment, and then she slowly turned around.
Seeing this, Su Lun's pupils narrowed slightly, sensing that the plot was about to take a significant turn. Just in case, he mentally prepared himself with a soundtrack for watching horror movies, humming "Today Is a Good Day" to himself.
As expected!
And in the next instant, the little girl turned her face to Su Lun, and her voice suddenly reverted to that deep, terrifying tone as she sinisterly asked, "Now, do you still want to chat with me?"
....
This was a face charred and blackened, with features fused together by intense heat, leaving only three holes instead of a nose and a mouth.
Any normal person would be startled upon seeing such a face.
However, what surprised the little girl was that there was no change in Su Lun's expression; no panic, no disgust, no fear... In fact, he looked intently at the girl's face, even revealing a warm smile.
If you've watched a thousand horror movies, you are hardly ever scared.
In horror movies, there are about eighty types of "turn-around kills" if not a hundred, including sulfuric acid, burning, tearing, festering wounds... all kinds of horrific and disgusting images.
Thus, seeing this burned face did not stir much emotion in Su Lun.
He knew that had he shown any signs of being frightened or disgusted just then, he might have triggered some sort of instant death effect, and today's conversation would certainly be over.
However, he had smoothly passed this first test.
Su Lun went straight to the point, "Of course, Miss Pestoya. I can sense your loneliness..."
He began the conversation in a tone that mimicked the psychologist who had once treated him.
....
The little girl was stunned, seemingly unsure how to react if her terrifying appearance did not scare the other person.
Su Lun did not give her the chance to make things difficult for him, immediately starting to tell his own story.
"When I was in juvenile detention, I would often be put in solitary confinement. Oh, juvenile detention is a place where unruly children are kept. So, I understand the loneliness of being confined alone in a small room..."
"I was born into a very warm family, but when I was very young, my parents left me..."
"..."
If you've read eight hundred books, you wouldn't think anything in this world is new.
The Italian Carlo Gritti said, there are only thirty-six types of plots in the world: supplication, rescue, revenge, family feuds, pursuit, disaster, misfortune, mystery, quest...
```
Su Lun saw the face of "Pestoya" and immediately speculated a lot of the plot.
Burns?
It was either an accident or foul play.
And then there was the family in the restaurant, made into puppets and neatly seated together—either out of longing or resentment.
From the limited clues available, this seemed to be a harmonious family.
Pestoya must have been born into a loving home, and then, around the age of ten, her life was taken by an accidental fire.
Her life also stopped in that year.
Su Lun wasn't entirely bluffing, he could truly understand that loneliness.
Because he was telling his own story.
Perhaps, only the mentally ill can understand the mentally ill?
He had received so many years of psychological guidance in the juvenile detention center and read so many psychology books that communicating with problem children came as second nature to him.
Although this "peculiar" entity was powerful, its supernatural abilities could easily kill a hundred Su Luns.
But after all, it had the psychological age of a naive little girl.
With wisdom comes emotional needs...
That's what the psychiatrist who treated him had said.
The desire to live drowned out the guilt Su Lun felt for deceiving the young girl, and the two of them actually started talking leisurely.
"My name is Su Lun, and I'm pleased to meet you, Miss Pestoya."
"You're really not afraid of me?"
"Hmm. I can tell that Pestoya is a kind girl."
"No, I've killed many people."
"I've killed people too. That year, a gang of thugs insulted and killed my neighbor's sister. Then I took a knife and chased them down three streets, stabbing them one by one... Not all killers are evil, and perhaps those killed deserved it."
"..."
Su Lun saw a flicker of curiosity on that burned face, as if she found a sense of validation in his words.
After a pause, he didn't forget to add some psychological suggestion, saying, "Later, in the juvenile detention center, the doctor told me that bad people should be punished, but good people should not be harmed."
"Oh."
Pestoya murmured as if she half-understood.
After pondering for a moment, she asked softly, "What do you think makes someone a good person?"
Su Lun: "For an individual, the difference between good and evil lies in whether they conform to one's own values. At least up to today, I believe those guys deserved to die."
Pestoya was smart, obviously grasping the deeper meaning in Su Lun's words, and with a sly smile, she asked, "So, are you a good person?"
Su Lun, unabashed: "Of course."
"Giggle..."
Upon hearing this, the room echoed with bell-like laughter.
The atmosphere became much less tense.
Perhaps all young girls love beauty; the little girl reverted to the appearance in the photograph, with golden hair and blue eyes, obedient and cute.
Su Lun shared his own story, and the experiences of loneliness common to two mentally ill people made it easy for them to find "resonance."
Before long, one human and one oddity sat side by side like good friends.
Su Lun told her some of the strange and curious stories from Earth.
Pestoya also talked about things that had happened in the manor.
"My father and mother were both skillful alchemists, and they were busy every day... Only these puppets would always keep me company, but it's a pity they can't talk..."
"..."
Su Lun didn't ask about the fire, as he could guess with his toes that this would surely trigger Pestoya's painful memories.
The two of them chatted about some happy, interesting trivia.
The plot unfolded in the direction he had anticipated.
Su Lun's goal was to survive and, apparently, it seemed he would probably not be killed.
But, it seemed like there was something more.
Resonance was always mutual.
Even though there was no affection meter as in the games, Su Lun felt that this little girl got along quite well with him.
....
After a long talk, Pestoya seemed very satisfied and had a cute smile on her face.
"Thank you, it's been many years since anyone has talked to me."
Thinking of something, the little girl said, "But you can't stay by my side for too long... otherwise, you'll become distorted."
"Distorted?"
Su Lun thought it wouldn't hurt to stay a bit longer, but hearing Pestoya's words, he realized there might be other dangers in this space.
At this moment, Pestoya seemed to remember something else.
She walked over to her workbench, picked up the rune doll she had finished, placed it in a beautiful box, and said, "This is a parting gift for you, Mr. Su Lun. Thank you for talking with me."
Hearing this, Su Lun knew he had succeeded in surviving.
Su Lun accepted the wooden case containing the rune doll without any fuss.
A simple doll, with yellow skin, heavy to the touch as if it had many metal parts inside, and most notably, its surface had faintly glowing blue rune symbols.
He did not ask more but smiled slightly, "I also thank you for your gift, Miss Pestoya."
"Mr. Su Lun, we probably won't meet again. Even if you come back next time, I might have forgotten you..."
As they were parting, Pestoya's face showed sadness.
Then, she took off a butterfly brooch from her clothing and pinned it on Su Lun's chest, "This is my favorite brooch. It was a birthday present from my mother when I was six. It's also a little gift for you, I hope you can do me a favor when you get out."
Su Lun readily agreed, "Of course."
"If you ever see my father and mother, please ask them..."
Pestoya started to say but suddenly stopped, not continuing.
Su Lun asked with confusion, "Ask what?"
Pestoya's tone suddenly became very agonized, alternating between the terrifying old woman's voice and that of a young girl, "Ask them... why they had to burn me to death."
With these words, an inexplicable chill suddenly swept through the entire room.
Ah?
Su Lun could have never anticipated she would suddenly say such a thing.
He immediately realized that the truth of the matter was not so simple.
Pestoya had been burned to death by her parents?
How could this be? In a family that seemed loving and harmonious, how could parents burn their most beloved daughter to death?
Where did the problem lie?
Was the problem with Pestoya, or with her parents?
However, there was no time to think further, as Pestoya, seemingly triggered by a touched nerve, began to shroud herself in surges of black mist, on the verge of exploding.
Seeing this, Su Lun decisively reached out his hand and gently stroked her head.
Perhaps because his affection was sufficient, under the comfort, Pestoya suddenly calmed down. She slowly lifted her head, and those eyes filled with red glint also gradually returned to tranquility.
Su Lun nodded solemnly, "I promise you."
So, she too had once bravely loved this world, yet the world had given her boundless pain.
"Goodbye then."
Pestoya gave him a toothy smile, her eyes as clear as the starry sky, still so innocently lovely, "I'm very happy to have met you too, Mr. Su Lun..."
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