He is the leader of the Tantric sect in Chagdu.

"Sir, during your absence, the Gray Court operated as usual—and some people even tried to spy on your property; a total of thirty-four insects... have all been turned into nourishment for the gray mist."

As he ventured deeper into the courtyard along the stone brick path, the earlier strange phenomena ceased to be an obstacle and instead became his loyal protectors.

Ai looked at that fawning face, which, along with the omnipresent gray mist, kept appearing and disappearing from the corners of his vision, and couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

"Could you please stop following me around like this?"

"Feel sorry……"

In the blink of an eye, the wriggling tongues disappeared from the crater in the stone, and Ai sighed deeply.

The feeling of being watched dissipated, my tense nerves finally relaxed, and I felt much more at ease.

He surveyed the changes that had taken place around him—

The pervasive sense of "discomfort" from before still lingered, but it seemed to have recognized itself as the master. The unusual elements in the scene no longer deliberately hid themselves from Ai Yi, but instead boldly approached him, as if seeking praise.

All those stone slabs emerged precisely from beneath Ai's feet, growing wherever he went, and were soft to the touch. Tall, coarse ferns lay prostrate along the path he had come from, and when Ai wasn't looking, they would climb up his ankles with some inconspicuous vines, giving him a glare before finally leaving.

There was also a gray mist... its viscous, solid form resembled a puppy, rubbing against Ai's ear and making a panting sound.

Your own home is alive.

Ai Yi seemed thoughtful:

The outer courtyard serves as the mansion's defense system, and it's quite effective.

Having just been enhanced, he was only awake for two more seconds... Even the executive officer of Velting, who possessed the Criterion of Enlightenment, quickly succumbed and offered no resistance whatsoever.

As expected of something left behind by the original owner.

Ai felt he needed to reassess the true strength of "Mr. Grey," even though he already had a preliminary understanding of his mysterious predecessor...

Seeing that Wei Sir, a member of a high-level combat unit, was arrested on the spot in the house left by Gray without even a decent resistance, he couldn't help but feel a little sad.

If this continues, Wei Sir's prestige will be completely destroyed, and he will be reduced to a comedian.

Of course, after expressing my amazement, I still need to say something:

"Grey Court, those people who were taken away by the gray mist just now were my... partners. Don't hurt them."

Ai thought for a moment and added, "Don't let them easily come to meet me... Just treat them as troublesome guests. While I'm busy, you'll be in charge of entertaining them for a while."

"OK."

The next instant, an area of ​​the nearby mansion was suddenly shrouded in a thick gray fog, blurry and indistinct like a faded dream—

"I've woven an illusion for them—Grey Mist is very good at that. But it seems there's an apprentice among them who's on the path of the sect. In time, even Grey Mist... can't guarantee that they'll stay without causing harm. If you have any private matters, sir, please speak to me as soon as possible."

It won't be long.

-I need... more specific memories from Gray. I need clarity about his death, my rebirth, and that unfinished ritual... preferably something like a diary, but Gray doesn't seem to keep a diary.

Ai silently pondered the purpose of her visit:

Besides memories, the current state of the Mirror of Radiance is also something that needs to be understood. To rebuild Tantric Buddhism, the lost disciples, as well as the esoteric teachings and ritual implements that form its foundation, are all indispensable.

If possible, he also wants to find all the traces of his past ascension path. He knows too little about the intangible arts. If he can't gain some "common sense" here, he can only infiltrate the foundation later under a pseudonym and receive basic training in occultism.

This would be very troublesome and would also delay the progress.

"Grey Garden, take me to Grey... my bedroom."

"plz follow me--"

The gray mist twisted and distorted before him, countless hazy things gathered into a thick curtain, and finally condensed into a clear dusty path, which appeared at Ai's feet.

Guided by the fog, he entered the Gray Courtyard and disappeared into a thick darkness.

.

.

It's very dark here.

As a residence that possesses life and can even communicate with people, the interior structure of Grey Courtyard challenges Ai's understanding.

A series of gray misty doors replaced the room door, the flowing gray matter silently swallowing any gaze directed towards it; behind them, it was as if the room led to the boss's room—nothing could be seen clearly.

The shadows seemed to come alive, constantly wriggling and crawling in the corners, making rustling sounds like tiny insects.

If it weren't for the dusty road beneath her feet, Ai might have gotten lost in this eerie place long ago.

Why did Gray renovate his house like this?

Sure enough, the head of a secret religion will become mentally unstable after being in power for a long time, like someone with severe paranoia.

"Nie, stay close to me." Silently increasing her grip, Ai tightened her hold on Nee's soft little hand, seemingly unaware of the girl's ease—she was far more familiar with this place than Ai, as if she were another master of Gray Garden.

Finally, the dusty road dissipated in front of a fog-shrouded gate.

This should be the place.

On the other side of the fog door was a room that looked quite ordinary.

The solid wood flooring looked spotless, as if it had been regularly cleaned. The large bed inside was covered with gray seasonal bedding, which was carefully folded into a square shape—this guy, Gray, has such a sense of ritual in his life.

While inwardly marveling at the scene, Ai took the opportunity to glance around at the layout of the inner room—

In stark contrast to the style of the outer courtyard of the mansion, the furniture is finished with an amber-colored lacquer, revealing a subtle metallic sheen that obscures the exact material. The tea sets on the tea table bear traces of hand-carving, showing signs of meticulous care and possessing a warm, jade-like luster.

Only the smart home panel by the bedside and the sound of running water coming from the bathroom at some unknown time reveal a hint of the Nest City style.

These things all look really valuable...

However, Ai's attention was quickly drawn to something more important—

Several rows of three-meter-high bookshelves were neatly arranged on one side of the wall, and they did not seem to have the old and worn look typical of the suburbs; they all looked brand new.

Time seems unable to leave a trace in this space; everything is frozen into amber, accompanied by sunlight streaming through the small wooden window and the drifting dust, eternally lingering in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility.

Ai frowned and walked towards the bookshelves. "Grey Court, who cleans this place while I'm not here?"

...

"Grey Courtyard?"

...

no respond.

-Because this is Mr. Grey's private space?

He wasn't surprised. If it were Ai, he wouldn't want a living house constantly monitoring his life. He should have prohibited Gray Court from visiting places like the bedroom.

Ai looked at the girl beside her: "Nie... are you going to stay here from now on?"

"Does my brother want me here?"

Nie tilted his head, slightly widened his eyes, and his bright red gaze was silent and serene.

She was waiting for a response.

"If I still can't understand something in the end, I'll come to you for help—but for now, could you give me a little time?"

Ai smiled and patted her head, saying softly, "I want to try it myself first."

.

Nie's figure disappeared into the fog gate. Ai was not worried about her safety in Gray Court, after all, this was once her home.

Now, I'm the only one left in this bedroom.

The main characters always choose to transform in places where no one is around.

Ai narrowed her eyes, and the red liquid in her abdomen boiled again. The sound of flapping wings filled the space, and the gray paradigm once again assimilated into the color of the vessel.

Mr. Grey, it's me, I'm back.

Ai said softly to herself, "I'm back, back to the place where you died, your lair, your home."

"What do you want to tell me, Ash... You used gravity and threads to pull me into your trap, to bring me here—what have you prepared for me?"

.

.

Ai frowned: Why is there no response?

The thin wings on its abdomen were completely inactive, and even their vibrations became sluggish and weak.

Imitation has failed.

Is Gray still playing the riddle-maker at this point?

Shaking his slightly sore head, Ai Yi calmed down. Although he encountered obstacles at the beginning, it was too early to say it was over. He could try to explore it on his own first.

Walking up to the bookshelf, Ai casually picked out a hardcover book. Just as she was about to open it, she caught a glimpse of its title:

*Saint Nest Macroeconomics (People's Education Edition)*

Ai: "?"

No, buddy?

Unconvinced, he inspected the entire bookshelf and found it filled with either hard-hitting theoretical textbooks or professional books like psychology and philosophy. He even discovered some of the new literary works that had recently become popular in Hallownest...

Anyway, there was no secret transmission.

-Even the leader of a cult reads literature about youth and heartbreak?

For some reason, Mr. Grey's image suddenly became more vivid in his mind—this guy is also a strange guy behind the scenes!

Disappointed, Ai put the book back in its place and began pacing back and forth in the room. He idly rummaged through every drawer of the bedside table, took things out of the display case and put them back, and even unplugged the bathtub that had just been filled with water. The last one was purely out of sheer impulsiveness.

Nothing unusual was found—it looked just like an ordinary person's residence.

That's utter nonsense. How come I didn't know Mr. Gray was an ordinary person? This guy practically has "I'm a madman" written all over his face.

Ai started to get agitated, lying on the edge of the bed pulling out strands of his hair one by one. He couldn't understand why he was doing this—until he gave up and rolled around on the bed, then fell off and onto the floor.

-It hurts, it hurts...

He turned his head unintentionally and saw a dark, square-shaped thing under the bed—it was a box.

?

"What is this?"

Pulling the box out from under the bed, Ai brushed away a thin layer of dust from its surface and turned it over to examine it closely—it was about a meter long and wide, made of an unknown animal leather, without any extra decorations or labels, with a metal frame and silver engraved patterns, making it look very luxurious and elegant.

He tried to lift it: it was quite heavy.

There's something inside.

Although he had little hope, Ai tried to open it anyway, but after turning the box over and over several times, he couldn't even find a crack, let alone a keyhole—how was he supposed to open this thing?

A completely sealed box, without even a crack, isn't that just a solid brick?

Just when Ai was at her wit's end.

.

"Click—"

.

The faint sound was like a thunderclap in the quiet environment, startling Ai Yi so much that her body went limp. Then, there was an even clearer "click".

A crack has begun to appear on the mysterious leather suitcase.

Did it... open by itself?

Ai cautiously approached and peeked into the box through the gap. It was pitch black, and she couldn't see anything or smell anything.

After those two "clicks," the box did not undergo any further changes and simply lay quietly on the ground, as if nothing had happened.

It's like... Pandora's box.

In Gray Court, Ai felt that even if this really was a Pandora's box, he could still open it and run outside to call for help.

What else is there to say?

Without further resisting the pull of curiosity, Ai gripped the side of the box with her fingertips, took a deep breath, and forcefully pried it open—

.

.

Ai tilted her head.

He braced himself on the ground with both hands and slowly crawled to the open box.

"nirvana……"

His pupils were small, and his gray eyes were filled with a blank stare.

Inside the box lay a young girl.

Ai Yi was already intimately familiar with that face. Although they had only spent a few days together, the bond that was etched into his soul was the connection between him and that doll.

Its tender, childlike appearance, as white and fragile as porcelain, is filled with a contradictory softness and authenticity within its inorganic, artificial nature.

What lies before me is Nirvana.

But she is clearly not the "Nirvana" outside the door.

Ai shifted his gaze to the girl's entire body. He frowned slightly. The space inside the box was already cramped, and even with Nie's size, she could only be squeezed into a tight ball to fit inside. This made her look very uncomfortable; her exposed ball joints were compressed into unnatural shapes, making her look like a cat lacking security.

But that's not the point.

Unlike the complete and beautiful body of the young girl, the doll in front of me... seems to be unfinished. Apart from her still flawless face, part of her torso is not covered with skin. The stark white skeleton and pale pink flesh are exposed, and the specific material cannot be seen, but it still looks ferocious.

It looks like a butterfly with a damaged wing.

What exactly is this made of?

The box had been open for a long time, but the girl inside still didn't react. Ai finally dared to move closer. He gently stroked the broken bones and ruptured flesh. There was no disgusting, sticky texture or smell. Instead, it was as hard and dazzling as some kind of crystal.

This appearance is a bit scary.

Ai felt a pang of sympathy for Ai for some reason.

Is this the prototype of Nirvana?

I haven't even finished with her yet, and she's already gathering dust under the bed... That guy, Ash, really has no sense of responsibility whatsoever.

Fortunately, she doesn't seem to have a human-like consciousness like Nirvana, which means the key components haven't been implanted yet.

Otherwise, if he had pulled off the girl's blanket and taken liberties with her body like that, he would probably have been chased and beaten up long ago.

Ai sighed, feeling a little sorry for the girl in the box, and gently adjusted her overly compressed limbs to make her look less uncomfortable.

After doing all this, he whispered to the girl, "Sorry to have bothered you."

He lifted the other side of the suitcase, and as he closed it, he softly said goodbye to her: "Goodnight—"

"install?!"

In an instant, cold sweat soaked my entire body.

Ai took two steps back.

In the shadows of the box, a pair of crimson eyes, flowing like blood, quietly opened and silently gazed at him.

A pair of arms, only half-covered by skin, wrapped in still-uncongealed crystalline flesh and blood, gently supported the closed lid of the box.

"Name?"

The girl emitted a stiff, monotone, synthesized electronic voice.

.

Ai Yi pressed herself against the corner of the wall, thinking that Nie was still better. At least that girl was not only pretty, but also had a nice voice. What was going on with this doll in front of her, with such a beautiful face, yet covered in blood and gore?

"Ash."

He replied expressionlessly, "What else could Mr. Gray be called but Gray?"

"……mistake."

-ah?

"Unknown images, unknown shapes, unidentified red liquid: insects spying on their master's property—"

The mechanical, electronically synthesized sound exudes a chilling coldness that penetrates to the bone:

The next moment, the girl in the box transformed into a blur, tearing through the void and instantly bridging the distance, reflecting the blinding blood-red light in her eyes into Ai's pupils—

"You will pay the price for this."