Doomsday Wonderland Vol. 13: Sleepwalking in Dreamland

1581: Fake Turns Real

As the doorbell rang, the two wooden doors slowly opened inward on their own. The person inside had been waiting for a long time. To the left of the entrance, a table was set up. The doorman, a Changeling who had already completed his transformation, was watching the computer screen on the table and reattaching the skin of his face. As Wu Yiliu walked in, he looked up and complained. "What took you so long? What were you doing wandering around outside?"

It seemed that the monitoring of NPCs with Special Items had indeed escalated a level, just as Wu Yiliu had expected.

"I couldn't find the door," Wu Yiliu mumbled. He knew it was a weak excuse, but he understood Changelings well enough.

The doorman impatiently waved him on, standing up amidst the jangling noise of a large bunch of keys hanging from his waist, and ordered, "Follow me."

The doorman wasn't authorized to receive the Special Item. Wu Yiliu obediently followed him through a low-ceilinged hall, with corridors leading somewhere on both sides. The doorman stopped at the entrance to the right-hand corridor, swiped a card, and the iron door opened.

Wu Yiliu felt as though he was being swallowed as he stepped into a spacious hall with iron-gray walls. There were no lights around, and the walls were lost in shadow. The ceiling, holding the room's only chandelier, rose to an astonishing height of four or five stories within this single-story building. Was it an effect of a Special Item? Or some kind of ability?

Wu Yiliu wondered if it could be an ability because, seated directly across from the door, was a seemingly normal-looking stranger. Wu Yiliu eyed him carefully, finding him oddly familiar. After thinking, he realized that the man was not a stranger; they had met during NPC training, and he was one of the posthumans who provided the training.

However, at that time, his transformation had been severe, constantly twisting and warping. It was only during rare calm moments that Wu Yiliu recognized him. "Oh, Brother Pisces, it's you." He approached the table, extending his hand with a smile. "You've progressed so quickly. I almost didn't recognize you."

The posthuman, who seemed to have completed his transformation or was at least close to it, glanced at his hand but didn't move. "You were at the training?" he asked disinterestedly. "Alright, where's the donation? Give it to me."

The doorman didn't leave but took out his phone instead, aiming it at the two of them. Wu Yiliu, confused, reached into his pocket for the paper crane. As he handed it over, he looked at the doorman and suddenly understood.

When receiving a donation in the fake pocket dimension, a posthuman had to inspect it, but the Changelings didn't trust the posthumans – or anyone, for that matter – so they needed to keep a record. Indeed, as Wu Yiliu handed over the paper crane, the doorman's phone clicked several times.

It seemed that the hall was indeed the effect of a Special Item or perhaps the Item itself, so they couldn't install surveillance cameras inside.

Pisces played with the paper crane's wings for a moment. "Donating this? How embarrassing," he said, snorting. "Which point is it from?"

"Section 1, Gate B, No. 1," Wu Yiliu replied.

"Section 1, Gate B, No. 1!" Pisces shouted into the shadows.

What was going on?

Wu Yiliu was still puzzled when the sound of metal rolling on tracks filled his ears, like a giant drawer being pulled open. As he realized what was happening, a long drawer slid out from the shadows and stopped next to Pisces.

Wu Yiliu was stunned. Was this another Special Item? And the Changelings had so many of them in their possession?

The drawer was the size of a regular desk drawer but unusually long, and Wu Yiliu's gaze followed it back into the shadows, unable to see where it came from. A piece of paper labeled "Section 1, Gate B, No. 1" was attached to the handle, and the drawer was empty.