Chapter 1819 Influenced <TOC> Chapter 1821 The Lucky Ham
Translator: SumTLMan
With the naked eye, one could see that the dancer’s movements had slowed down. Though she continued to dance and the slowing frequency was not significant, this gradual decrease in speed was accumulating over time.
About twenty minutes later, the dancer’s whirling twirls had transformed, gradually transitioning from a spinning motion to a halting, step-by-step “mechanical” dance. Moreover, the movements of this mechanical dance began to grow slower and slower.
Ten minutes passed, and a hint of confusion and uncertainty appeared in the dancer’s eyes.
Although this expression lasted only for a fleeting moment, everyone present captured this scene.
Hesitation, confusion, and doubt. Such expressions are not what one would expect from a madwoman. This meant that——
She was becoming lucid, even if it was just for a split second!
Interpreting this piece of information, it naturally led them to wonder: Does this scene suggest that as long as the Nightmare Plane’s aura is continuously supplied, she would revert from her madness back to normalcy?
If this speculation was accurate, it would undoubtedly be heartening news!
Just as everyone was eagerly anticipating witnessing a miracle, Sanders abruptly cut off the supply of the Nightmare Plane’s aura.
Facing the puzzled looks of others, Sanders opened his hand. In the center of his palm, a small stone, resembling a black pearl, the Nightmare Stone, had a crack originating from its center. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, it snapped with a click, disintegrating into countless grains of dust.
“The Nightmare Plane’s aura stored within the Nightmare Stone has been exhausted,” Sanders declared.
Sanders’ words brought everyone back to reality. Their attention had been solely on the effects produced by the Nightmare Stone earlier, neglecting the fact that the Nightmare Stone was also a consumable, a precious magical material of considerable value.
Gloria opened her mouth, intending to inquire if Sanders still had any Nightmare Stones. However, she eventually held her tongue, recognizing that the Nightmare Stone was Sanders’s possession. Not only was it exceptionally precious, but it was also his prerogative to decide whether or not to continue the experiment. Any attempt to persuade him otherwise could be perceived as a form of intellectual coercion.
After a moment of silence, Angel spoke up, “Allow me.”
Using the Nightmare Stone for the experiment was akin to burning money. Hence, Angel took the initiative, reasoning that the aura of the Nightmare Plane he could release wouldn’t be limited by quantity.
However, just as Angel was about to step forward, Sanders stopped him, saying, “There’s no need.”
Seeing Angel’s puzzled expression, Sanders elaborated, “I have a significant reserve of Nightmare Stones. Moreover, the aura of the Nightmare Plane within these stones is greater than you might imagine. The previous stone lasted only half an hour because, firstly, it was inherently small, and secondly, I had been using it for some time, depleting its stored aura.”
While Angel could produce the aura of the Nightmare Plane without consuming a Nightmare Stone, he was but one individual. Using his aura for occasional experiments was feasible, but consistently doing so wouldn’t be as efficient as the stone. Instead of wasting time, it would be better to gather more Nightmare Stones from the Nightmare Plane. Therefore, from the beginning, Sanders never intended for Angel to undertake this task.
More importantly, Sanders’s sudden halt in supplying the Nightmare Plane’s aura was a deliberate move. He wanted to observe how the dancer, who had been influenced by the Live Wire, would react after the abrupt termination of the aura’s presence.
Given Sanders’s explanation, Angel naturally nodded in agreement, stepped back, and resumed his role as an observer, watching any changes in the test subject.
Inside the Fog Illusion, when deprived of the Nightmare Plane’s aura, the dancer exhibited signs of anxiety, looking around as if trying to identify the issue. Why had the aura vanished?
This behavior from the dancer was clearly not an intrinsic reaction. Instead, it likely reflected the Live Wire’s attitude towards the aura of the Nightmare Plane.
Gloria commented, “From what we can observe now, the Live Wire doesn’t seem to reject the aura of the Nightmare Plane, and even yearns for more Nightmare Plane aura.”
Angel also concurred with Gloria’s viewpoint. Based on this conclusion, the complete cessation of the Nightmare Plane’s aura, along with its continued supply, is likely the experiment Sanders will undertake next.
Sanders didn’t produce a new Nightmare Stone but continued observing the dancer’s transformations.
The dancer’s anxiety persisted for roughly thirty seconds, then she remained still for ten seconds, seemingly displaying a sense of loss.
Soon after, her habitual demeanor resurfaced, and she began dancing with the illusion again, accelerating and returning to her initial rhythm.
At first glance, this simple experiment might seem insignificant. However, upon closer reflection, one realizes that even in this brief period, several valuable data points can be gathered: the quantity of the Nightmare Plane’s aura supplied, the dancer’s movement frequency, her level of alertness, and the Live Wire’s activity levels.
When the dancer began her frenzied whirl once more, as per Angel’s assumption, Sanders should have resumed supplying the Nightmare Plane’s aura to record new data.
Unexpectedly for Angel, Sanders simply turned away and exited the dancer’s room.
Shortly after, Sanders entered another room.
Inside was another patient with a manic condition, but this one was unique. Unlike the previous dancer, he didn’t start “acting out his role” upon seeing someone. For he was still unconscious.
This man was Old Ham.
He had been infected by Iva not long ago, and what role he would “play” was still unknown as he was a newly diagnosed patient.
As Sanders stood before Old Ham, Angel seemed to comprehend something.
The dancer was an early-stage infectee, while Old Ham was a recent one. Under the influence of the Nightmare Plane’s aura, would the Live Wire manifest differently depending on the duration of infection?
This likely encapsulates the answer Sanders sought when coming to Old Ham, serving simultaneously as a method of data collection.
Initially, Old Ham was immersed in a state of unconsciousness. However, when Sanders unveiled a Nightmare Stone, gradually releasing the aura of the Nightmare Domain into the room, Old Ham’s eyelids twitched.
A minute later, Old Ham opened his eyes.
Upon observing his gaze, the crowd discerned a stark difference from the previous dancer. From the moment he opened his eyes, Old Ham exhibited an aura of bewilderment and uncertainty.
Such perplexity lingered until his eyes met Sanders, upon which a slight shift in his expression became evident.
His facial expressions and gaze began to shift incessantly, resembling a stage actor calibrating their demeanor just before stepping onto the stage for a performance.
“Is he transitioning into the role he’s portraying?” Angel murmured softly, “What would transpire if he fails to immerse himself fully into the character?”
Perhaps Angel’s remarks served as a cue for Sanders. As Old Ham fine-tuned the nuances of his expressions, Sanders amplified the release of the Nightmare Domain’s aura. Instantaneously, Old Ham’s gaze reverted to its previous state of confusion.
The ensuing five minutes transformed into a tug-of-war.
Every time Old Ham exhibited tendencies to Play a Role, Sanders released even more of the Nightmare Domain’s aura, over and over, until, ultimately, Old Ham ceased his attempts at portrayal.
Simultaneously, Old Ham opened his mouth, painstakingly whispering fragmented syllables: “Save… me…”