Chapter 810 Illusion and Dream <TOC> Chapter 812 The Little Boy
Translator: SumTLMan
The former abode of Freud resided deep within Tyson Lane.
As Angel peered into the alley, he was met with a desolate scene. Despite it being broad daylight, the alley was empty, devoid of any human presence.
He pulled out a gold coin from his pocket and tossed it to the young boy who had guided them.
This youngster had approached them after their arrival in Borel Town, spotting them as outsiders and taking the initiative to offer his services. From his attire, he was clearly from an impoverished family.
Angel had originally planned to have Freud guide them, but then he decided it would be better to assess the situation himself first. Hence, he employed the boy to lead the way.
After paying the boy, Angel was ready to send him off. However, upon receiving the hefty gold coin, the boy’s eyes lit up with joy. He had never encountered such a generous foreigner before. Initially, he intended to take the money and leave, but the large sum made him hesitate. He stopped Angel and said, “Sir, the residents of Tyson Lane have recently all moved out. If you are looking for someone, it would be best to check with the local authorities.”
“Moved out?” Angel, who was about to proceed further, abruptly halted.
With curiosity in his eyes, Angel asked, “Why did they move out?”
“Well…” The boy hesitated for a moment, looking at the wealth in his hand that could sustain him for a year. He said, “The mayor has ordered those who know about it to keep quiet. However, considering your generosity, I can quietly share what I know.”
The boy ensured no one was around, then whispered, “Actually, I don’t know much myself. I gathered all this from overhearing the patrons at the tavern. By the way, my name is Pine. I work as a server at the White Wave Tavern in the evenings.”
After introducing himself, Pine began to recount the story of why Tyson Lane had been abandoned.
At the end of Tyson Lane, there was a derelict orphanage that was off-limits to the public. The mayor had included it in future development plans, but due to financial constraints and its remote location, the work had been indefinitely postponed—for over a decade. Initially, there was nothing peculiar about the orphanage, but two years ago, it was included in a development project, and a construction team began to survey the orphanage.
That’s when the unusual incidents began to occur.
“You’re saying the orphanage is haunted?” Angel asked, raising an eyebrow.
Pine nodded affirmatively, “Absolutely, even though I haven’t experienced it myself, the patrons at the tavern were adamant about it. They say that the construction crew saw shadowy spirits, all of which were terrifying ghostly children… and many people died. Subsequently, the local residents would occasionally hear the voices of children coming from the orphanage at night. So, for their safety, the people of Tyson Lane moved away one after another. Now, the alley is practically abandoned, even homeless people refuse to stay there.”
“Ah,” Angel intoned, stroking his chin: Freud had mentioned living in an orphanage once before.
If no surprises ensued, it was probably the same orphanage that Pine spoke of.
“Is that all?” Angel asked, observing that Pine hadn’t left, thus inquiring politely.
Startled, Pine shook his head, “That’s all.”
“If that’s the case, I’ll take my leave. Thank you for sharing, the story was intriguing.” Angel squinted, a mild smile gracing his face. He affectionately ruffled Pine’s hair before turning to depart.
As Pine struggled to flatten his ruffled hair, he noticed Angel continuing on his path. Hurriedly, he called out, “Sir, are you still heading to Tyson Lane? Are you… not afraid?”
“I fear many things, but spirits aren’t one of them,” Angel responded, not pausing as he continued deeper into Tyson Lane. Yet, his voice resonated clearly in Pine’s ears.
Pine paused, not quite understanding Angel’s sentiment. However, watching Angel and Drew’s figures recede, he removed his slightly worn hat, and tipped it in a distant salute to Angel. Then, he turned and headed towards the town center.
Halfway there, he suddenly remembered another fact about Tyson Lane.
Half a year ago, the royal knights of the Central Empire had visited Borel Town, supposedly to deal with the haunted orphanage in Tyson Lane. But, they seemed to have withdrawn shortly after? His memory was hazy.
Murmuring to himself, Pine mused, “This fact probably isn’t too important, whether I share it or not… Besides, that gentleman is surely not reckless enough to venture into the orphanage, right?”
At that moment, Angel was standing in front of a rusty, arched iron gate.
On the wall next to the gate was a rickety iron plaque covered in dust. Angel reached out and wiped away some of the grime.
As the dust settled, a line of gray text on a black background appeared in the center of the plaque.
The first character was completely rusted over, while the remaining spelled out, “Dream Orphanage.”
This orphanage was likely the place where Freud had stayed. However, according to Freud, he was not an orphan; his father had been the director of this orphanage, hence his residence here.
“Sir Pat, what brings you here?” Drew asked curiously, peering through the bars of the gate at the orphanage.
It was overgrown and dusty, a sight of neglect.
Untrimmed trees had grown rampant, blocking all sunlight, casting a gloomy shadow over the entire orphanage even in broad daylight.
The children’s carousel and slide were masked in filth. The distant building was pitch black, its walls mottled with patches of green moss.
“I’m here for something,” Angel stated without hesitation. Although the Dream Conch of the Moonlit Coast was a Mysterious Object, its actual value wasn’t high. More than thirty years ago at a sky auction, it was sold for only ten thousand magic crystals. Angel didn’t feel anyone would try to snatch it from him, seeing as his personal value far exceeded that of the Dream Conch.
Drew responded with a simple “oh,” not probing further, obediently trailing behind Angel. He had also noticed the metal plaque on the wall. “Hmm, this should be the name of the orphanage, right? But it’s missing a word. What? Dream Orphanage? Beautiful Dream Orphanage, or perhaps Illusory Dream Orphanage?”
Angel reached out and pushed open the unlocked iron gate. As he walked in, he responded to Drew’s query, “The name of the orphanage is simply — Dream.” He recalled Freud’s words, “Although, before the orphanage was abandoned, the director called it the Beautiful Dream Orphanage, but those inside referred to it as…the Nightmare Orphanage.”
“Nightmare Orphanage. It sounds like it’s filled with resentment,” Drew furrowed his brows, inexplicably repelled by the name.
“There was a great deal of resentment, and many people died. Yet, that’s how the world is — where there’s light, there’s darkness. Beneath a beautiful painting, malevolent shadows are sure to lurk,” Angel sighed softly. Compared to Drew, he had a deeper understanding of the Nightmare Orphanage and a firmer belief in the unpredictability of human nature.
The pair stepped into the weed-infested territory, one following the other.
Standing under the shade of a tree, Drew felt a cold, gloomy air enveloping him, sending an involuntary shiver down his spine.
“Lord, this place looks like it has been abandoned for a long time. Could there really be the evil spirits the boy mentioned earlier?” he asked.
Angel closed his eyes, sensing the surroundings for a moment, “Although there’s a trace of a cold, gloomy aura, I don’t feel any malevolence. Even if there are spirits, they probably haven’t fallen yet.”
“That’s good, that’s good,” Drew slightly relaxed upon hearing this.
However, Angel added, “Even if they haven’t turned into ghosts, the spirits themselves can still do harm. Perhaps, as Pine suggested, those construction workers were killed by the spirits here.”
Hearing this, Drew became frightened again. His body shook, and a thin mist began to cover him.
“Your mist is just plain water vapor, harmless. It can’t serve as a weapon or defense, so are you trying to intimidate the evil spirits?” Angel glanced at him, teasing.
Drew nodded vigorously, “Yes, just to scare them off, to tell those lurking in the shadows… I’m not to be trifled with.”
Angel chuckled, not passing judgment on Drew’s action. However, he noted that Drew was able to expand a small patch of mist to cover his entire upper body in such a short time, demonstrating his strong control over water.
And this was accomplished before Drew had even become an apprentice, showing a glimpse of his natural talent for water magic.
Swiftly, they arrived at the orphanage’s annex. The three-story structure continued the quintessential style of Borel Town, albeit lacking the bright elegance of its exterior, instead exuding a grim and somber aura.
While Drew was still hesitant about stepping inside, Angel had already made his way into the building.
Drew had no choice but to follow suit.
The hallway was dim, prompting Drew to use a luminescent stone for illumination. However, the stone’s eerie green glow only made the dust and cobweb-laden corridor appear more unsettling.
“Lord, where are we headed now?” Drew queried, his voice shaky.
“The basement.”
Following Freud’s previous guidance, Angel made his way to a storeroom behind the staircase. Upon opening the door, dust flew into the air.
“I thought we were heading to the basement? Why are we in a storeroom?” Drew held up the luminescent stone, illuminating the small compartment filled with assorted clutter, as he asked.
Angel didn’t respond but remained silent, his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought.
“Lord, what’s wrong?”
“It appears someone has recently been here,” Angel murmured after a moment’s silence, “The dust that flew out earlier was too scant, and also, look behind you…”
Following Angel’s direction, Drew turned around.
Instantly, he found himself staring into a pair of chilling eyes. Startled, his heart leapt, and he stumbled back several steps, eventually falling onto the floor.
Angel looked at him with an expression of incredulity. “If you’re scared by a mere doll, you can forget about making it in the world of wizards.”
Only then did Drew notice that the object he had locked eyes with was a red-dressed doll perched atop a pile of junk. However, under the glow of the green luminescence, the doll’s originally smiling face appeared somewhat sinister and ferocious.
Swallowing hard, Drew stammered, “Er… I didn’t notice it at first. I swear it won’t happen again.”
Disregarding Drew’s promise, Angel pointed at the doll and said, “The layer of dust on the doll’s coat is inconsistent. Someone has moved this doll.”
As he spoke, Angel picked up the doll.
This revealed a dusty wall lamp behind it. He casually turned the lamp’s handle, and with a click, a dark hole emerged from the floor next to Drew.
“Below is the basement…” Angel muttered contemplatively.
According to Freud, he had hidden the Dream Conch in the basement. But now that someone had recently been to the basement, could there be others aware of the Dream Conch?
With this doubt in mind, Angel stepped onto the seemingly bottomless dark staircase.
Chapter 810 Illusion and Dream <TOC> Chapter 812 The Little Boy