Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The elevator door opened, and the sharp sound of metal friction was particularly harsh in the silence.

Lin Yi stepped out, and was greeted by a chilling aura that went deep into his bones.

The corridor in the special isolation area is very narrow, with rows of closed metal doors on both sides, so heavy that they seem to be able to block out all life.

The explosion-proof glass inlaid on the door glowed coldly. Through the glass, one could see the awakened people imprisoned inside—some were curled up, some were manic, and each of them was struggling on the brink of collapse.

Lin Yi walked to room number 17 and looked inside through the glass.

Patient No. 17 curled up in the corner, holding his head in his hands, muttering something.

Lin Yi listened carefully for a while and vaguely heard a few words: "Don't... don't come near me... they are looking at me..."

His gaze fell on No. 17's eyes, but he found that the other person's gaze was not focused on him, but passed him and stared at behind him.

Lin Yi saw some vague outlines in the reflection of No. 17's pupils, like some indescribable monster, peeking at the world from another dimension.

Lin Yi turned around and found that there was nothing behind him. Only the pale light in the corridor was projected on the ground, stretching his shadow.

When Lin Yi's gaze fell on No. 17 again, the other party was still curled up in the corner, but his state at this moment was completely different from before.

His body began to tremble violently, as if being torn apart by an invisible force. The voice he muttered became more rapid, even with a hint of hysteria: "They... They are coming! They are coming! Don't come near me! Don't!"

No. 17 dug his nails deep into his arm and blood oozed out from between his fingers, but he was completely unaware, as if the physical pain was far less than the mental torture.

Seeing this, Lin Yi pressed the communicator on the wall: "I need a psychoanalyst and two security personnel to go to isolation room 17 immediately."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the communicator, followed by a mechanical response: "Received."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Yi focused his attention on No. 17 again.

This time, he found that No. 17's eyes were staring at him.

What was reflected in No. 17's pupils was no longer the scene in the room, but a distorted darkness, as if something was wriggling in the darkness, trying to break through some kind of boundary.

"What did you see?" Lin Yi asked in a low voice, trying to get more information from No. 17.

No. 17's lips trembled: "It...it's looking at me...it's right behind you...it said...it said it's coming..."

His pupils continued to dilate, and the whites of his eyes were filled with bloodshot, as if he was pushed to the brink of collapse by some indescribable force.

At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard at the end of the corridor, accompanied by a slight vibration of the metal floor, and the psychoanalyst and two fully armed security guards quickly arrived.

The three of them quickly came to Lin Yi, and the psychoanalyst's eyes carefully examined No. 17's condition through the thick explosion-proof glass.

He pushed his glasses up and said, "Dean, No. 17's mental state is worse than we expected. We must arrange intensive psychiatric treatment as soon as possible, but before that, you'd better leave here. The situation here... may become more dangerous."

No. 17 in the room had shaking hands and was still mumbling to himself, as if he was talking to some invisible being.

Just as Lin Yi was about to leave, he heard him whispering intermittently: "They are coming...The Immortal King..."

These words immediately caught Lin Yi's attention. Lin Yi waved his hands around him, and the other three staff members immediately left tactfully.

The most important thing when working in the Imperial Lunatic Asylum is to be obedient.

Behind every wall and every door here may be hidden secrets that cannot be told.

This place not only holds high-risk awakeners, but also some "special prisoners" sent directly by the royal family.

Every word uttered by these people may involve the empire's top secrets, or even the truth that is enough to subvert certain powers.

Therefore, when working here, the most important priority is to keep your ears and mouth under control.

If you hear something you shouldn’t hear, you should pretend you didn’t hear it; if you say something you shouldn’t say, you shouldn’t reveal even a single word.

Otherwise, what awaits them may not only be losing their jobs, but completely disappearing from this world.

After watching the three staff members leave, Lin Yi came to the explosion-proof glass of isolation room No. 17, raised his finger and knocked on it, attracting the attention of No. 17.

"Tell me, what do you know?"

Number 17's voice was intermittent: "Senator Bell... He is their pawn... They want to control the parliament through him... Control the entire continent... They... They want to awaken the 'Immortal King'..."

He continued to ask: "What is the 'Immortal King'? Where is it? Why did the ghost awaken it?"

A trace of fear flashed in No. 17's eyes, and his voice became even deeper: "'The Immortal King'... It is the source of ghosts... It is an existence beyond our understanding... Once it wakes up, the whole continent will fall into darkness... The altar... The altar is where it wakes up..."

"Where is the altar?"

No. 17's body suddenly began to tremble violently. He held his head tightly with both hands, and his voice became hysterical: "I don't know! I don't know! Don't ask anymore! They...they are coming! They are coming!"

His words stopped abruptly, as if something was strangling his throat, and his face turned pale in an instant.

Lin Yi sensed something was wrong, and quickly stepped forward and kicked the door open.

When he rushed into the isolation room, No. 17's body had already begun to twitch violently, with black blood flowing from the corners of his mouth, as if some kind of poison was eroding his life.

“Damn it!” Lin Yi cursed and reached out to support No. 17, but the other person’s body had already fallen down limply, without any breath left.

Lin Yi stood in Isolation Room No. 17, looking down at the body lying on the ground.

Under the pale light, the black blood at the corners of Patient No. 17's mouth looked particularly glaring. The air was filled with a faint fishy smell mixed with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

He squatted down, reached out to feel the other person's pulse, and confirmed that the other person was completely dead.

Lin Yi stood up and pressed the communicator: "Patient No. 17 has died, suspected to be caused by poisoning or mental breakdown. Immediately seal off the isolation area, notify the medical team to conduct an autopsy, and at the same time strengthen the security alert of the sanatorium."

"Received. Send someone to handle it immediately."

After hanging up the call, Lin Yi's gaze fell on No. 17's body again.

His mind quickly sorted out everything that had just happened, trying to find more clues.

"Phantom, Senator Bell, Immortal King, Altar..."

These key words put together seem to point to a huge conspiracy, and the death of No. 17 is more like a warning - or a way of silencing someone.

[The main quest has been activated.]

[Main Quest: The Mysterious Senator Bell (First Ring)]

Difficulty level: Lv.41
Mission brief: Investigate the power of Senator Bell.

Task duration: 15 calendar day
Mission Reward: Depends on the completion of the mission. After receiving the reward, the second ring of missions will be unlocked.

Mission penalty: Forced execution.

……

After Lin Yi received the task prompt, hurried footsteps were heard at the end of the corridor, accompanied by the crisp sound of metal instruments colliding, and the medical team was approaching rapidly.

Lin Yi turned around and faced his men: "No. 17 is dead. Perform an autopsy immediately. I want to know the cause of his death. Don't miss any details. At the same time, strengthen the security of the quarantine area. If you see any suspicious person, kill them without mercy."

The medical team stepped forward, carefully lifted No. 17's body onto a stretcher, covered the lifeless face with a white sheet, and then quickly evacuated.

Back in the office, Lin Yi closed the door, and the light in the room instantly became dim.

He walked to the window and looked down at the panoramic view of the Imperial Sanatorium through the thick bulletproof glass.

As a place for suppressing high-risk awakeners and dangerous political prisoners, the Imperial Sanatorium's defenses are not impregnable, but they are definitely impeccable.

In this way, the other party was able to kill No. 17 silently under his nose, without even leaving a trace.

This also sounded a wake-up call to Lin Yi - don't underestimate the local forces in this world.

According to Su Xiao, the water in the Zul Empire is terribly deep.

In the previous world, Su Xiao just dealt with one of the external hostile forces of the Zul Empire, and he almost lost half his life.

If something fatal really happened here, Lin Yi himself had no confidence that he could escape unscathed.

"It looks like we have to seek help from outside forces."

After a moment, he pressed a button on the desk: "Arrange a vehicle, I need to go to the execution office."

"Yes, Mr. Dean."

Sitting in the special car heading to the execution agency, Lin Yi looked through the car window at the city scene passing by quickly outside.

The streets are bustling with people and traffic, and the sounds of vendors, children laughing, and vehicles honking are intertwined.

The execution agency is located in the core area of ​​the imperial capital. It is a towering black building, like a sharp sword piercing the sky, symbolizing the iron blood and majesty of the empire.

There is no decoration on the surface of the building, only cold lines and thick metal walls, giving people an invisible sense of oppression.

Lin Yi's vehicle slowly drove into the gate of the agency. When the guards saw the Imperial Sanatorium logo printed on the outside of the vehicle, they immediately let it pass, even skipping the inspection step.

In the Zul Empire, even civilians can recognize this symbol - parents often use "If you don't obey, I will throw you into the Imperial Insane Asylum" to scare their children.

Over time, the reputation of the Imperial Sanatorium has become so famous that it can almost stop even the weeping of children.

Lin Yi didn't come here to hang out, of course.

He needed help, and there happened to be such a person in the execution agency.

Su Xiao once mentioned that he found a naughty kid detective to help him in the previous world.

Although the little guy is young, he is very smart and helped Su Xiao save a lot of brain cells.

With her around, Su Xiao was naturally happy and relaxed, and didn't bother to think about those complicated strategies.

At the same time, in the office of the head of the Execution Agency, Isaiah Bonnie was sitting at the desk, tapping her fingers unconsciously on the table.

Her eyes occasionally glanced out the window, as if she was weighing something.

"Run away... or stay?"

When she learned that the vice president of the Imperial Sanatorium had suddenly come to the execution agency, her intuition told her that this was definitely not a good thing.

The last time Issevi Bonnie had this feeling was when Kukulin Baiye suddenly appeared and dragged her into a conspiracy that was difficult for an ordinary person to escape.

That time, she almost fell into the hands of Harold and Su Xiao.

If she hadn't been alert enough, she would have been silenced long ago. How could she still be sitting here thinking about life?
"What's wrong?" Seeing Isewell Bonnie's panicked look, Reinhardt, who was sitting behind the desk, looked at Isewell Bonnie.

Although Issevi Bonnie is not a member of the execution agency by identity, she has been tacitly regarded as the "military advisor" here since the last confrontation with the Ghost Ring Organization.

Once ordinary people are involved in disputes among ghost forces, the only option for them to escape unscathed is to rely on the protection of these violent organizations.

Isaiah Bonnie took a deep breath, trying to suppress the panic in her heart, but her fingers were still unconsciously twisting the corners of her clothes.

She looked at Reinhardt. "The vice president of the Imperial Sanatorium is here. I always feel that things are not that simple. This time... I'm afraid it won't be a good thing."

Reinhardt hesitated for a moment and said in a deep voice: "You go meet him first and find out what his purpose is. If the situation is not right, I will intervene immediately."

"Hey? Should I go?" When Isaiah Bonnie heard that she was going to face the vice president of the Empire Sanatorium alone, her calves suddenly began to tremble and even her voice trembled.

There was no way. Isaiah Bonnie was just a 12-year-old child, and she grew up listening to horror stories about the Empire Sanatorium.

In her childhood memory, the Empire Sanatorium was like a black hole that devoured lives and was full of unspeakable secrets.

And now, the "big villain" in the story suddenly appeared in front of him alive, and it was impossible not to be nervous.

However, the situation does not wait for anyone.

Just as Isaiah Bonnie was still struggling with how to respond, someone knocked on the office door.

She took a deep breath, forced herself to calm down, and silently said to herself: "Don't panic, absolutely don't panic..."

Isaac Bonnie walked to the door with a slightly stiff step, reached out and grasped the door handle, her fingertips trembling slightly.

The moment the door opened, Lin Yi's figure appeared in her sight.

He was followed by two tall bodyguards, and their eyes were fixed on Reinhardt sitting behind the desk the moment they opened the door.

The two bodyguards looked at each other and silently put their hands on the weapons at their waists just in case.

"Wait at the door. I have something to discuss with Army Commander Reinhardt."

"Yes, Dean." The two bodyguards saluted respectfully, then turned and left the room, closing the door tightly. The heavy door blocked out any noise from the outside world.

Isaiah Bonnie stood there, trying to regulate her breathing.

Her fingers curled slightly, her nails almost digging into her palms, and the pain made her a little more sober.

Now, she is a member of the execution agency. Although she is still young, her intelligence and courage have far surpassed her peers.

Otherwise, Reinhardt would not allow her to stay in this office full of confidential information.

"Isaiah Bonnie and Reinhardt?" Lin Yi ignored Isaiah Bonnie and walked straight to the opposite side of Reinhardt, pulled out a chair and sat down calmly.

Seeing Lin Yi's performance, Isaiah Bonnie's nerves, which had just relaxed, tensed up again, and her body began to tremble slightly unconsciously.

She tried hard to suppress her inner uneasiness, her eyes moving back and forth between Reinhardt and Lin Yi.

"It's us. I wonder what the vice-president wants to see us about?" Reinhardt's voice was low and powerful, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

He deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the word "deputy", as if to remind Lin Yi that his status was not enough to be arrogant here.

Reinhardt's confidence is not groundless. As the commander of the execution agency, his rank is on the same level as the director of the Imperial Sanatorium. Naturally, he does not need to show weakness in front of Lin Yi, the deputy director.

"Someone told me that if I encounter some troubles that cannot be solved, I can come to you."

"No, our execution agency suffered heavy losses some time ago and is now recuperating. Please find someone else, Dean." Issevi Bonnie refused almost subconsciously. Su Xiao's appearance instantly appeared in her mind.

The guy had used the same indifferent tone to pull her onto the pirate ship, and she had never come down since.

"Wait until you have seen this thing before you make a decision."

Lin Yi reached into his pocket, and when he took it out, there was a badge in his palm.

After placing the badge on the table, Isaiah Bonnie and Reinhardt fell into silence at the same time.

"How is that possible? Isn't he dead?" Isewei Bonnie looked at the badge on the table that symbolized Su Xiao's identity, and her facial expression failed to control her emotions.

Reinhardt stood up suddenly, and the chair made a harsh noise when it scraped against the ground.

"This... is this the badge of the deputy commander? Is he still alive?"

Lin Yi did not explain where the badge came from, nor did he need to explain.

The fact that this badge appeared in his hands was enough to explain everything.

Isaiah Bonnie looked at Reinhardt. Only Reinhardt, the commander of the execution agency, was qualified to make a decision of this level.

Reinhardt sat on the chair, his figure like a silent mountain.

His eyes never left the badge, as if he was thinking about something.

After a moment, he raised his head and looked at Lin Yi: "Dean, do you have any instructions?"

This sentence seemed to put an end to Lin Yi's arrival and set the tone for the next actions.

Rather than saying that Reinhardt was giving face to Lin Yi, it would be better to say that he was giving face to Su Xiao.

In the last world, Su Xiao almost managed the execution agency so well that even the monarch Harold could not get his hand in.

If it weren't for Su Xiao's special identity - an awakened person who could lose control at any time, Harold would probably have eliminated him first.

After all, a violent organization that even the monarch cannot interfere with is shocking enough in itself.

"Okay, be happy." He reached into his arms, took out a pendant, and threw it to Isewei Bonnie.

"This thing was brought back by Bubutu. I don't know who it belongs to. You can take it."

Isaac Bonnie took the pendant subconsciously, looked down, and found that it was the pendant Hank often wore around his neck.

There is a small rune engraved on the pendant, symbolizing the identity of the execution agency, and there is a tiny crack on the edge, which was left by Hank during a mission.

"Sure enough, the deputy commander is not dead yet?"

Reinhardt did not ask any more questions. He knew that there were too many reasons for Su Xiao to fake his death and get away with it. So many that even someone like him who did not have a keen political sense could easily come up with several.

Perhaps it was to avoid being hunted by certain forces, or perhaps it was just to get rid of some unexplainable constraints.

No matter which one it is, it is not surprising. (End of this chapter)