Chapter 937: Just Being Shameless
It was well known that Bohemia"s temper rose with her abilities, and she herself was well aware of this characteristic. However, it also meant that once others noticed her sudden improvement in temperament, they would suspect that the rumors about her abilities being damaged were probably true—and that was absolutely unacceptable.
She had to grit her teeth and continue to be temperamental, even though deep down, Bohemia was feeling a bit uneasy.
When she let out a mocking laugh, she felt like a puffed-up pufferfish, all bl.u.s.ter and no substance. "Closed? Are you dreaming?"
The man with platinum hair let out a soft sigh, as if completely unsurprised.
"I"ve always somewhat liked you," he said, turning around as he spoke. The triangular wall, said to belong to the "Cotton Candy Castle," immediately s.h.i.+mmered like water, reflecting his image. He checked the newly grown dark roots of his hair and said softly, "You may have a bad temper, but you"re different from them. You never hide what you want. If you were to die here today, I might lose my appet.i.te for dinner."
Bohemia fell silent for two seconds.
She tried to think about how she would have responded in the past, but at this moment, she just wanted to ask one question, so it naturally came out of her mouth. "Octo, what"s going on here? I never knew that the Gallery of Concrete Realms could be closed or that it could even exist."
Octo glanced at her from the mirror.
"When you weren"t here, little girl," he pursed his lips, allowing the lipstick to blend more naturally and smoothly with his lips, "a lot happened here..."
"No need for small talk, I can see that," Bohemia interrupted him. "I"m asking you what happened."
"I can only tell you a little bit." Octo adjusted his clothes and admired his left profile—he always claimed it was his most beautiful angle. "The Gallery of Concrete Realms now has an owner, understand? I"m just his hired eyes, responsible for guarding this entrance. The owner received some information, so today, he doesn"t want anyone coming or going because... well, you don"t need to know."
He chuckled softly. Although his voice was not pleasant to listen to, there was always a strange charm when Octo spoke. "The less you know, the safer you are."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Bohemia raised her voice, unable to contain her surprise. "The Gallery of Concrete Realms was shaped bit by bit by the consciousness of countless posthumans! Who—"
"It"s someone powerful enough to monopolize it without anyone daring to challenge them," Octo shrugged. "But they"re reasonable enough most of the time, so we can still use this place without causing any trouble."
Bohemia searched her memory for a while, rejecting several names that floated up immediately. She truly had no idea who could possess such overwhelming power—after all, how was that even possible? The strength of posthumans was usually relative, with the possibility of weaker individuals seizing the weaknesses of the stronger ones and launching successful counterattacks. It was this dynamic balance that allowed the weaker ones to have some s.p.a.ce for survival and growth.
But she didn"t dwell on this question.
"I don"t care about the others," she lowered her voice and took two steps closer to Octo. "That so-called owner has nothing to do with me—but I have something urgent to take care of today, and I must go in!"
Octo looked up at her again from the mirror—this time, his gaze lingered for a few more seconds.
"Why should I take the risk," he chuckled softly, "and let you in for no reason?"
Bohemia deflated.
No matter how much bl.u.s.ter she put up, Bohemia knew very well that she couldn"t really attack him here. But her tone was still far from polite. "Look at you, with that appearance resembling a vampire. What do you want? Do you think you can enjoy your life if you get what you want?"
"I heard vampires are beautiful," Octo glanced at his reflection in the mirror one last time before turning around—however, as he raised his eyes, his gaze went straight past Bohemia and fixed on the entrance behind her. He suddenly exclaimed, "Oh?"
Oh no, Bohemia immediately realized.
Regardless of what Octo wanted, if those pursuers behind her entered, this deal would be completely ruined! In the blink of an eye, she made a decision. Before Octo could s.h.i.+ft his gaze back, Bohemia swiftly stepped forward, sidestepped, and crashed heavily into his arms. Her right hand reached into the air—this was a technique commonly used by posthumans when employing "attachment conditions"—and she shouted, "Go in!"
Everyone who knew her knew that her "attachment condition" was an independent s.p.a.ce where she set the rules, as she had never bothered to conceal it. As Octo reflexively responded, his body flickered and turned into a semi-transparent starlight, shooting towards the ceiling in a hurry.
With the path clear in front of her, Bohemia seized the opportunity and rushed out at full speed.
Her contaminated "attachment condition" couldn"t be released naturally, and Octo quickly realized this. Just as she felt him catching up to her from behind, several other points of starlight burst into the entrance.
While sprinting at high speed, Bohemia quickly glanced at the triangular walls ahead. As her gaze touched them, the triangular walls instantly transformed into mirrors; within the still rippling images, she clearly saw the point of starlight representing Octo stop in frustration and haste, transforming into a human form as he turned to confront the unexpected intruders.
"Closed today!"
She faintly heard Octo"s angry voice, raspy and resonant, "Get out!"
The words that followed became increasingly faint as they reached her ears; the triangular walls on either side rapidly receded and disappeared from her side, leaving the voices of those individuals far behind. "We"re chasing..."
She could guess that they must have started arguing with Octo. Bohemia smirked and quickened her pace; in the blink of an eye, she couldn"t hear the rest of the conversation at all.
She wished Octo would be a dutiful and loyal dog!
Her mood lightened considerably as she navigated through her memories, weaving left and right. After a while, she slowed down. The terrain in this place was complex, and she had already ventured deep into the heart of it. Even if Octo managed to shake off the pursuers, he wouldn"t be able to find her immediately.
"Heaven Underworld... Heaven Underworld..."
Bohemia muttered while tapping on the triangular walls. It was unclear who set the rule, but it was necessary to politely tap the wall three times, as if visiting someone"s home, for the wall to gradually turn transparent. Glancing at the scene that emerged beyond the transparent wall, she saw a dark and lifeless land covered by a leaden gray sky. Several winged angels were bowing their heads, wandering amidst the ruins and desolation.
Before one of the angels raised its head, Bohemia quickly withdrew her gaze and hurriedly walked towards the next triangular wall. Even before she raised her hand, she faintly heard footsteps coming from behind the wall.