Ren Yi suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the Waiter beside him, his voice filled with obvious suspicion.
"You say this is the happiest place in the Entertainment City?"
The Waiter still wore a gentle smile as he nodded slightly, his tone sincere.
"Of course, Mr. Ren Yi."
"There is no clamor here, no fighting, and no pain. There is only peace and tranquility. It is the most suitable place for recuperation in our Entertainment City, and it is also the happiest place."
Ren Yi didn't press further. He figured that no matter how much he asked, the Waiter would only provide such a scripted and perfect answer.
He was just that kind of guy—always speaking in half-sentences, keeping things hidden!
He remained silent as he stepped out of the elevator and into the purple flower field.
The soil beneath his feet was soft and moist, carrying a faint floral fragrance. With every step, he disturbed the petals around him, causing them to drift down gently.
After walking only a few steps, Ren Yi's gaze was drawn to a figure not far away.
It was the God of Gamblers.
He still looked the same as before, wearing his luxurious formal suit with his hair meticulously combed.
However, the previous arrogance and flamboyance were gone from his face, as was the serious concentration and ease he had shown during the gamble.
At this moment, he was curled up deep within the flower field, lying atop a patch of flattened flowers, sleeping peacefully.
His brow was smooth, and there was even a faint smile on his lips; his expression was relaxed to the extreme.
It was as if he had cast off all his burdens and completely immersed himself in this boundless tranquility, with no more disturbances.
Ren Yi stopped and stood silently in place, watching him for a long time. Then, he slowly bent down and picked a purple flower near him.
The moment his fingertips touched the petals, a faint coolness washed over him, along with a somewhat familiar texture and scent.
Not long ago, he had seen this kind of flower in the gardening shop within the Entertainment City's mall.
It was called "Sleep Grass."
The description he had seen in the gardening shop involuntarily surfaced in his mind:
...
"A single Sleep Grass plant has weak toxicity, but it is exceptionally beautiful when grown on a large scale. Furthermore, its scent has the effect of making one relax their guard, which can lure weak-willed units into the flower field."
"One minute after an average adult male unit enters the center of the flower field, they will fall into a deep sleep. Within three minutes, the central nervous system will be paralyzed. Within five minutes, brain death will occur."
"Can be used for Instance landscaping, restricting participant movement, increasing the complexity of Instance rules, etc."
...
A single Sleep Grass plant had the effect of soothing the mind and aiding sleep. In moderate amounts, contact with it could allow one to relax quickly and relieve fatigue.
Ren Yi looked at the brilliant purple stretching all the way to the horizon.
However, at the scale before his eyes...
"This is Sleep Grass, isn't it?"
Ren Yi spoke in a calm voice without turning around. He held the Sleep Grass in his hand, the petals trembling slightly against his fingertips.
"Mr. Ren Yi recognizes it?" The Waiter seemed a bit surprised, but he quickly regained his composure and began to explain.
"You are correct; this is indeed Sleep Grass."
"However, you need not worry. The Sleep Grass now is no longer in its original form."
"Original form?"
"Yes." The Waiter nodded, his tone light.
"Sleep Grass was introduced and planted by the Alliance from a primitive ecological world. In its original state, it is a carnivorous plant."
"When a large amount of Sleep Grass gathers together, the fragrance attracts nearby beasts."
"Once a beast enters the depths of the Sleep Grass patch, it is deluded by the pollen and falls into a deep sleep, never to wake again, eventually becoming the nutrients required for the Sleep Grass to grow."
"Later, the Alliance introduced Sleep Grass to the Entertainment City, and the owner previously in charge of the gardening shop modified it," the Waiter continued.
"The modified Sleep Grass is no longer lethal; it only retains its hypnotic effect."
"They no longer directly kill intruders. Instead, they form a symbiotic relationship with them."
"The Sleep Grass provides a mind-soothing fragrance and appropriate nutrients. Once the intruder falls asleep under its influence, they provide a faint amount of energy for the Sleep Grass to grow."
He paused, looked at the sleeping God of Gamblers nearby, and added.
"Therefore, the God of Gamblers will live here peacefully and securely until his natural death."
"There is no fighting here, no pressure, and no shackles brought about by the 【Luck】 talent. For him, this is indeed the best final destination."
"Presumably, 【Luck】 thought so too."
You call this a "peaceful and secure" life?
Ren Yi fell into thought for a moment.
What was even worse was that 【Luck】 seemed to share the exact same viewpoint as the Waiter, both believing this was the best arrangement for the God of Gamblers.
In that case, the one who seemed abnormal right now was actually himself.
Ren Yi was silent for a while, his gaze falling on the God of Gamblers' peaceful sleeping face. He suddenly asked, "Does he still dream?"
He wanted to know if this person, granted a "perfect ending" by 【Luck】, would dream of his past glory in this seemingly tranquil flower field. Would he dream of that overturned gamble? Would he dream of those fawning followers?
The Waiter shook his head slightly and spoke sincerely, "I am sorry, Mr. Ren Yi, but I do not know the answer to that."
"Once the people who come here fall into a deep sleep, they never wake up again."
"We have no way of knowing whether dreams still exist within his consciousness."
Ren Yi's lip twitched, a sense of unspeakable mockery rising in his heart.
So, this was the "luck" that the 【Luck】 talent envisioned?
He suddenly remembered the words the Battle-Damaged Guy had said to the God of Gamblers earlier: "You really trust your talent."
Recalling it now, it was ironic to the extreme.
【Luck】 had once again "betrayed" its master, using the gentlest method possible to imprison him completely.
Speaking of which, the two powerful talents he had encountered this time were truly less human than the last.
First, there was 【Time Stop】. It was actually okay; at least it didn't actively "harm" anyone.
However, its side effects were practically fatal and were one of the major reasons for the Battle-Damaged Guy's death.
By comparison, 【Luck】 was much more of a bastard.
It was like an AI without any capacity for independent thought, operating solely according to its programmed logic with "good" intentions.
Yet, it ultimately produced an extremely terrible result, pushing its own master into another abyss.
It didn't let him keep winning, and it didn't let him maintain his status. Instead, it let him fall into an endless sleep within a seemingly peaceful flower field.
To spend the rest of his life in a daze, without pain or joy, without a past or a future.
Well, then again, he wasn't the God of Gamblers.
I wonder if he would still trust his talent so much if he knew the truth?
Ren Yi said no more. He gently placed the Sleep Grass in his hand onto a nearby plant and turned to walk past the God of Gamblers, continuing deeper into the flower field.
The flower field was boundless, the wind remained gentle, the fragrance was still rich, and the petals continued to dance.
Ren Yi hadn't walked far when he saw a somewhat thin figure in the distance.
It was Ren Man.
He wasn't sleeping like the God of Gamblers. Instead, he was sitting in the middle of the flower field on a rock, hugging his knees and looking at the distant sky with a calm gaze.
Sunlight spilled over him, and purple petals landed on his shoulders. This scene appeared exceptionally gentle.
The Waiter's words weren't wrong; it seemed his older brother was quite happy here.
Ren Yi's pace slowed, and the tension on his face gradually dissipated. He stepped forward softly, keeping his voice extremely low for fear of disturbing this rare peace.
However, the next second after he saw Ren Man, the latter had already turned his head.
"Brother," Ren Yi spoke softly. "We're going home."
Rate on N.U.
