Chapter 88: As Zhang Ming Narrated His Childhood Trauma, the Scholar Stared at Him, Narrowing His Eyes Slightly…

Chapter 88

As Zhang Ming recounted his childhood trauma, the scholar stared at him, narrowing his eyes slightly as if lost in thought.

In truth, though he had been the one to inquire about Zhang Ming's situation, the scholar didn’t particularly care about what the man said or whether he revealed the whole truth.

The scholar’s Ability, known as *Truth Retrospection*, allowed him to glimpse fragments of the truth from even the slightest clues—an invaluable skill for investigative dungeons.

Thus, it didn’t matter whether the "employer" concealed anything or even outright lied. As long as he revealed even a sliver of genuine information, it was enough for the scholar to trace the truth behind the incident.

At this moment, while the scholar’s body remained among the players, his mind traced the clues Zhang Ming had disclosed, traveling back into the past…

Until, through young Zhang Ming’s eyes, he saw the dust-covered windowsill and the heavy blackout curtains hanging inside the window.

The curtains blocked the study’s interior completely, leaving only the narrowest of gaps in the middle.

The chubby boy strained on his tiptoes, his chubby fingers gripping the outer concrete wall of the window to maintain balance. Holding his breath, he cautiously peeked closer to the gap in the curtains, peering inside with nervous curiosity—

Snakes.

The first thing the scholar saw was exactly as Zhang Ming had described—countless snakes coiled throughout the room.

The study was unlit, so the writhing forms of the snakes appeared like a frenzied dance of demons in the dim light, leaving chaotic and maddening impressions on the retina.

And Zhang Ming’s father, kneeling amidst the snakes, seemed like a classic example of someone ensnared by demonic influence—dazed and devoid of reason.

The vision shook violently—clearly, young Zhang Ming’s young mind couldn’t calmly process the scene before him. He staggered back in panic, tripping and falling to the ground.

But the scholar, as a seasoned veteran, could observe and analyze far more details in that brief glimpse.

No.

He thought—what Zhang Ming saw might not have been snakes at all…

"That's what happened," Zhang Ming concluded his account in the present, scratching the back of his head. "It’s been so long, my description might not be very clear. I hope you detectives can forgive that."

The scholar suddenly posed a question: "Think carefully—were the ‘snakes’ you saw moving, or were they still?"

Zhang Ming froze, lips parting slightly. Just as the others leaned in to hear his answer, time abruptly stopped.

The clouds in the sky, the swirling snowflakes, the howling wind, the passersby—everything was paused, frozen in place.

System Prompt: 「This is a compulsory dice roll segment.」

「Under the players’ prompting, Zhang Ming’s memories flicker between clarity and obscurity. Can he recall the specific details? Please select one player to roll the dice within the one-minute countdown.」

The other players turned in unison toward the only Ability user of the Fate Domain present, unanimously letting Lena roll.

Lena smiled, palm upturned as if tossing something light.

At the same time, the players saw a dice spinning in the lower right corner of their vision, forming a silver vortex before gradually slowing… slowing…

The players held their breaths, eyes locked on the dice—fortunately, it landed with "6" facing up.

"Don’t worry, I’ve never lost a dice roll," Lena said. She might lack strength, but she had luck and tricks up her sleeve.

With the dice roll concluded, time resumed.

Zhang Ming remained oblivious to what had just happened, only feeling as though the once-blurred impressions in his mind were becoming clearer. Hesitantly, he said, "Uh, I only took a quick glance, so I didn’t see much, but—"

"Now that you mention it… I don’t recall the snakes moving. They were just… covering the entire room, clinging motionlessly to every surface…"

"Just as I suspected," the scholar said coolly, as if confirming a hypothesis. "Mr. Zhang, I have a theory."

"What you saw back then might not have been real snakes, but rather many snake-shaped objects—sculptures, paintings, or even tangled, winding lines."

Lena, tilting her head with interest, interjected, "Did Mr. Zhang’s father have a habit of drawing?"

Zhang Ming paused before answering uncertainly, "Well… probably? When I was going through the old house, I found many sketchbooks."

The four players shared a look, all keenly sensing something off:

From the employer’s narration and responses, it seemed he lacked direct memories of his father’s habits—as if the two weren’t familiar, as if they hadn’t lived under the same roof…

Eurus twirled her hair, remarking casually, "What a coincidence. My father loved painting too—he often took me out sketching when I was little. You must remember similar things, Mr. Zhang?"

Zhang Ming’s expression stiffened slightly, though he laughed nervously in agreement. "Of course, of course."

"Then what you saw back then likely wasn’t a room full of snakes, but your father’s own snake drawings," the scholar said, automatically reaching to adjust his glasses before remembering the barrier of his goggles. He pulled his hand back awkwardly. "The dim lighting and your young age at the time likely led you to mistake the tangled lines for a swarm of snakes in your panic."

"Oh… oh, I see."

The players’ sharpness seemed to unsettle Zhang Ming. He nodded hastily, wiping sweat from under his hat. "You detectives are amazing…"

Just as the players were about to ask more questions, Zhang Ming’s eyes wandered into the distance, suddenly locking onto something—his expression growing rigid, not from guilt this time, but as if seized by profound terror. His face turned pale as wax, as though struck by a hammer.

The players immediately followed his gaze.

Oddly, despite it being the height of tourist season, the foot of the snow-capped mountain was surprisingly empty. Few visitors carried climbing gear—most were just taking photos in the snow or snapping pictures of the summit before heading back to nearby lodges.

Thus, it wasn’t hard for the players to spot the source of Zhang Ming’s fear—

A tall, slender young man with black hair and eyes.

Amidst the bundled-up crowd, his attire stood out—stylish but underdressed. A black windbreaker, no winter hat, goggles, or mask, his face and ears exposed to the biting wind. Only a white scarf was carelessly wrapped around his neck.

He looked as though he belonged to a different world altogether.

Noticing the players’ scrutiny, the young man abruptly lifted his gaze. Snowflakes scattered from his eyelashes, making his dark eyes appear especially sharp.

His glance carried an icy sharpness, making them inexplicably tense—as if they were facing a final boss.

Yi Fengchu scanned the group, lingering briefly above their heads.

What was that… dice?

In his vision, each of them had a silver six-sided dice floating overhead. Most adults showed rolls of 3 or 4—middling results—while the little girl’s "6" stood out clearly.

As the ultimate authority of the Fate Domain, Yi Fengchu quickly deduced the pattern:

The girl was also a Fate Domain Ability user, bearing his gift of good luck—hence her high roll.

The other adults, with their average fortune, matched their average dice rolls.

Moreover, Yi Fengchu could faintly sense he could easily change these dice rolls—altering their luck, determining the chances of their success and failure.

Realizing these people must be game/instance players, Yi Fengchu instantly grew intrigued—had he wandered into another instance/dungeon?

The dice-rolling mechanics in this instance seemed quite novel and interesting, particularly favorable toward those from the Fate Domain...

Wait.

Drumming his fingers lightly on the back of his phone, Yi Fengchu pondered thoughtfully. What a coincidence—could this instance actually be related to him?

So, under the players' curious or wary gazes, Yi Fengchu walked up to Zhang Ming casually and greeted him, "Been a while. You're here for mountain climbing too?"

Zhang Ming stopped himself from stepping back, but the slight backward lean of his upper body still gave away his instinctive wariness toward Yi Fengchu.

The four players and Yi Fengchu himself noticed this, but no one pointed it out, keeping up appearances.

However, Zhang Ming reacted quickly, covering his tension with a laugh as he rubbed his head and replied, "Ah, yeah, what a coincidence, haha! It's been ages since we last met. Imagine meeting you here—next time, I'll treat you to a meal..."

"Mr. Zhang, may I ask who this is?"

Eurus inquired at just the right moment, carefully studying the unfamiliar young man.

Compared to Yi Fengchu's abnormally cold-resistant physique and refined appearance, what left the deepest impression on her was the strange presence around him—a sense of detached isolation.

To be precise, Eurus even felt that the young man didn't feel quite human, but more like the snow-capped mountain standing before them—just as silent, aloof, and timeless.

Such a presence reminded her of some divine beings she had encountered before, putting her on guard.

Zhang Ming chuckled, betraying no sign of his earlier fear and avoidance. "Oh, let me introduce—this is my neighbor growing up, Yi Fengchu. He's two years younger than me. Our yards were just separated by an iron fence."

Eurus turned to Yi Fengchu and probed, "So the two of you were childhood playmates? Then, regarding matters about Mr. Zhang's father, do you know anything?"

At the words "childhood playmates," Zhang Ming's eye twitched, his expression complicated.

In his eyes, the young Yi Fengchu had been a total weirdo—aloof, reticent. Despite living next to each other for years, their interactions had barely gone beyond an exchange of nods. Calling them "playmates" was a huge exaggeration.

Yes, a freak...

Zhang Ming thought of something, his hand in his pocket clenching into a fist, trembling slightly.

Only he knew—this Yi character was a freak, a monster wearing human skin!

It was just that the monster had become better at hiding its true nature compared to his childhood. So only he, only he knew the terrifying truth about this monster!

Zhang Ming had thought the shadow of this monster had long left him. So why, of all places—

Why did he have to run into him here?

In his heart, Zhang Ming prayed that Yi Fengchu's unexpected appearance and involvement wouldn't interfere with his plans...

Yi Fengchu paid no mind to his "old friend's" shifting expressions. After a moment of careful recollection, he spoke steadily, "Of course—"

Chen Hui and the others leaned in, expecting some important clue, only for Yi Fengchu to slowly finish, "It's been too long. Of course, I don’t remember much."

The deflated players: "..."

Yi Fengchu wasn't bothered. His own childhood memories weren't particularly clear, let alone those of a neighbor's parent.

"Tch," Chen Hui grumbled, "If you don’t remember, why waste our time?"

The scholar frowned and shot him a warning glance. "Watch your mouth."

Yi Fengchu, unfazed, didn’t take offense and said sincerely, "What happened to Uncle Zhang? Maybe if you share more details, I might recall something... I hope I can help."

The scholar considered it and, deciding Yi Fengchu was likely an important NPC, shared the information they had gathered so far.

As the two conversed, Chen Hui, feeling out of his depth, crouched down boredly and absentmindedly poked at the snow.

Suddenly, he noticed little Lena holding her hands in front of her face, fingers tightly pressed together, covering her eyes. At a glance, she looked like a tiny, reclusive mushroom sprouting from the snow.

"What are you doing?" Chen Hui asked curiously. "Is this how all you Fate Domain folks act?"

"...Don’t insult our Fate Domain. ‘Fate’ is the greatest!"

Lena retorted unhappily before explaining, "My Ability tells me—don’t look, mustn’t look. And I... always choose to follow Fate’s guidance."

With a light scoff, she added mockingly, "Of course, explaining this to you is pointless. But here’s some advice—you’d better mind your manners."

"Among us... there is undoubtedly a High Being far greater than you can imagine."