"Me?"
The person pointed at himself, then brushed the hair that had fallen over his cheek back, looking at me with a puzzled expression.
"If I knew who I was, that would be great. I wouldn’t have to keep staring at this thing here."
I let out a sound of surprise and walked over. On the table was that Liquid Desire Book. I looked at it in amazement—it had no words, only the form of a book, and no title.
"How long have you been looking at it?"
"I don’t know."
I sighed and walked over, picking up the Liquid Desire Book. I flipped through it—every page was blank, nothing but the shape of a book.
"Then why do you keep looking at this book?"
"Oh..."
The person scratched his scalp, then lay down on the bed, confusion written all over his face, completely unable to figure it out.
"I can’t figure it out either. Someone told me to stay here and look at this thing. Supposedly, if I understand it, I can leave. At least, that’s what they said. It’s been so long, I can’t remember clearly anymore."
I made a sound of surprise, and then the person climbed off the bed, stretched out a hand from the Liquid Desire Chamber, reaching out—but only one hand could pass through; nothing else could get out. I stared in astonishment.
I looked again at the book on the table—wasn’t this the Blank Desire Tome? Aside from being able to sense it was formed by currents of desire, there was nothing special about it.
"Even if I explained, you wouldn’t get it. Anyway, that person is really powerful. She said that if I understand it, I can leave. It’s not just some Blank Desire Tome. Having instinct is amazing. No wonder you can hear my voice—you have the instinct to coexist."
I stared in shock at this wild-haired figure—he actually knew. Then she started speaking again.
"Instinct is rare, hard to come by, but I’ve seen quite a few."
"Do you remember your past?"
I asked.
"No. If I did, why would I be here reading this book?"
It was exhausting to talk to this person—really exhausting. I picked up the Liquid Desire Book again and released a thread of Deathbane Aura. With two quick flicks, the Liquid Desire Book shattered into fragments.
"Oh, it's Deathbane Aura, but at this level, it's pretty ordinary. Sigh."
I stared in surprise as the Liquid Desire Book reformed itself. That person walked over, took it, and once again looked at it with a completely baffled expression. I grew more and more curious about him.
"Do you know anything about Deathbane Aura? If you do, could you tell me? How can I use Deathbane Aura more powerfully?"
"How would I know?"
He shot back, leaving me utterly speechless.
"Didn’t you just say so?"
"How would I know? I just recognized it when I saw it—that’s Deathbane Aura, that’s all. If you want to leave, hurry up and leave. Deal with your own problems. I’m busy trying to figure out this book!"
Then that person sat down at the desk again, flipping through the book. Even though there was nothing in it, he seemed to be engrossed, totally absorbed. I couldn’t understand him at all. But suddenly, I thought of the Specter Web. I walked up to him and released my Specter Web, intending to pierce his body.
Slowly, my Specter Web entered his body. Instantly, I was shocked—there was nothing, absolutely nothing. His body was completely empty. Though he stood before me, it was as if he didn’t exist.
I swallowed hard.
"Specter Web, huh? Way too weak—such a feeble Specter Web."
He kept talking, and I grew even more confused. But then, I smiled and asked,
"So do you know how to make a Specter Web stronger?"
The person glared at me, clearly annoyed.
"Your Ghost Soul is nothing special—too weak, so your Specter Web is weak too. I don’t know."
I sighed and dropped heavily onto the Liquid Desire Bed, quietly watching him. He seemed clueless. After a long while, he put the book down, looking genuinely content.
"Did you make any sense of it?"
"No, not a thing."
I stared at him, baffled—he was clearly a bit strange. But with this guy, I couldn’t sense anything at all. It reminded me of that figure shrouded in black energy.
"Sigh, she wouldn’t lie to me. She’d never lie to me."
I watched the wild-haired man squat on the floor, gnawing his thumb, looking utterly perplexed.
"Her? A woman? Who is she—do you remember?"
"Why do you ask so many questions? All at once—I can’t answer them all. She’s just that person, really remarkable, that’s all. Now move over, that bed’s mine. I need to sleep for a bit."
I made a sound of acknowledgment, got up, and watched him lie down, roll onto his side, and soon start snoring.
Unable to resist, I walked over to the desk and examined the Liquid Desire Book again—still nothing. It was just a book made from currents of desire, nothing more. I checked it again and again.
I glanced around, unwilling to waste any more words on him—my own business mattered more. I looked up; the lake’s surface was just overhead. How did he pull me down here earlier, and for so long?
"Hey, why are you still here?"
He woke up, and I stared in surprise. He looked well-rested, stretching and yawning, though he’d only slept a few minutes.
"Just a few minutes."
"No way, it’s already daylight—I must’ve slept more than ten hours."
I gasped—how could that be? Overhead, the sky was still bathed in moonlight. Then he started flipping through the book again, acting oddly, but just as focused as before.
"You weren’t tricked by her, were you?"
Suddenly, with a loud smack, he slammed the book onto the desk, stood up, and glared at me. In that instant, his eyes bore into me, and I felt a suffocating pressure. My knees buckled and I sank to the floor—he was furious.
"Say what you want about anyone else, but don’t you dare speak ill of her. She’d never lie to me—got it?"
I nodded, and he let go of his anger. The pressure eased and I breathed a sigh of relief, getting to my feet. He was formidable—this guy.
"So, do you know what she looks like?"
Then he looked up at me, his face glowing with happiness, and smiled.
"She’s beautiful, probably the most beautiful, most extraordinary woman in the world."
I’d completely lost the ability to communicate with him. Sighing in resignation, I floated upward, ready to leave—I had no time to keep talking to someone so disconnected from reality.
But suddenly, a strange thought crept in. The look of pure joy on his wild-haired face reminded me of a newborn gazing at its mother—full of hope.
Could she be his mother? I wondered.
"Yeah..."
Suddenly, he jumped to his feet, looking at me with joy.
"Maybe she is my mother, though I’m not sure. I think so. Thanks to you, I remembered something."
I smiled. Who forgets their parents—the ones who gave them life? But suddenly, my smile faded. I wasn’t born to parents; I don’t even know who they are.
"No, I wasn’t born—I was made. I think I remember that now."
I was even more shocked. Suddenly, he shot right up to me, reaching out. His eyes shifted in an instant, filling me with dread—they were terrifying.
With a tearing sound, he plunged his hand into my chest. I coughed up blood—what was he doing to me?
I couldn’t even speak. Then he pulled his hand out, and I clutched my chest. That chilling look in his eyes faded away. I swallowed hard.
I stared at him blankly as he smiled.
"What did you just do?"
I asked, but my body felt normal—the wound had already healed.
"Nothing, I’m not sure myself. Anyway, do whatever you want—whatever you desire, this lake should be able to grant it. Now, I’m going back to my book."
With that, he returned to his reading. I made a sound of acknowledgment, slowly passed through the water’s surface, and with a splash, found myself standing at the center of the lake. Looking down, the watery room had vanished. Everything that just happened—had it all been a dream?
At that moment, gazing at the still lake, my urge for gun parts suddenly flared up. Everything I’d learned about gun parts from the Bing app rushed through my mind.
Gradually, the things I imagined began to take shape on the lake’s surface—desires. With a gurgle, the first to appear was a mold for a revolver’s cylinder. Excited, I reached for it, but with a splash, it dissolved into water and vanished.
I quickly calmed my mind—I had to keep my desires under control. I kept thinking; it was impossible to get everything at once. With only one mind and the need to control my desires, I decided to create them one by one.