Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The wallpaper on the outside was peeling off even more badly, curling up in large chunks to reveal the dark-colored wall behind it, which was even covered in mold.

In some corners, there were clumps of dust visible to the naked eye and indescribable stains.

The glass frame of the hanging movie poster was shattered, and the poster images inside were severely faded, with the faces of the people blurred and only large patches of gloomy color remaining. If you looked at it for too long, it seemed as if it would wriggle.

The leather on the seats was cracked, revealing the dark yellow foam underneath. When you sat down, you could feel the springs deform and bounce slightly, making a soft creaking sound, which was quite different from the relatively intact condition of Hall 4.

Besides the unchanging scent of artificial fragrance, there was also a faint smell of dust and mildew in the air.

The layout here is almost identical to Hall 4, with tiered seating, a large screen in front, and exit signs on the side.

The only difference is that everything here is more dilapidated, as if it has been corroded by time and some indescribable force.

The lights were dimmer and flickered erratically, with some wall lamps not working at all, leaving the dark corners unlit.

Lin Yi's No. 01 and Gulu's No. 02 seats were located in the middle of this area.

Seat 01 has a long tear in its seat, barely held together by the foam, and the armrests of Seat 02 are somewhat loose.

The two exchanged a glance and sat down silently.

Including them, there were probably only five or six people in the entire huge theater, scattered sparsely and far apart from each other, like isolated islands.

Lin Yi's gaze swept over the peeling wallpaper and dusty corners, finally landing on the empty chairs.

Aside from the obvious dilapidation, he couldn't find any fundamental difference between this theater and the previous one in terms of rules or structure.

The danger seems to be lurking beneath the same process, only the environment is more unsettling.

Just then, the heavy soundproof door at the entrance of the theater creaked open with a dull groan, as it was slowly pushed open from the outside.

The sound was particularly jarring in the deathly silent theater, and instantly everyone's eyes turned to the door.

The movie hasn't started yet, and the ticket collector has just finished checking tickets and is standing frozen in the shadows in the corner ahead. So, who could it be at this moment?
Under Lin Yi's gaze, a little boy pushed an old metal popcorn cart, almost twice his height, and squeezed in with difficulty.

The popcorn cart was old-fashioned, with a transparent hemispherical glass dome inside, where warm yellow lights illuminated a large pile of snow-white popcorn.

There was a heating device faintly visible beneath the machine, emitting a slight warmth. A rich, sweet, milky aroma immediately overpowered the musty smell in the theater.

But what made all the dreamers tense up instantly was not the little boy, but the thing following behind him.

Those were three...human-shaped objects.

They were charred black, their bodies twisted and deformed, as if they had been thrown into a raging fire and burned thoroughly. Their carbonized skin cracked, revealing the dark red muscle underneath, and you could even see some of the white bones.

They had no hair, their facial features were indistinct, and only two empty eye sockets remained.

When it moves, its limbs are stiff and sway, and each step is accompanied by a faint "click" sound.

A foul stench of burning protein filled the air, mingling with the sweet aroma of popcorn to create a nauseating, strange smell.

Their movements were extremely bizarre; their limbs swayed stiffly, each step accompanied by a subtle "crackling" sound, followed by the stench of burning protein that mingled with the sweet aroma of popcorn, creating a nauseating and strange smell.

The three charred corpses followed silently behind the little boy, like the most loyal guards.

Upon entering the theater, their eye sockets slowly swept over the living people present, their gazes devoid of any emotion.

After scanning the room, they stiffly dispersed and each chose three particularly damaged chairs to sit on.

The charred body made a sickening scraping sound as it came into contact with the worn-out seat.

The little boy was completely oblivious to the horrific sight behind him; he even wore a slightly stiff smile.

He pushed his popcorn cart along the aisle between the seats, calling out in a childish but flat voice: "Popcorn~ Fresh popcorn~ Free samples available~"

His voice echoed in the silent theater.

A female dreamer in the first row suddenly trembled, instinctively shrinking back and lowering her head to avoid eye contact, without making any statement.

The little boy didn't seem to expect a response from her; his smile remained unchanged as he continued pushing the cart, walking slowly backward.

The wheels rolled over the carpet, making a soft sound.

As they passed the second, third, and fourth rows, all the dreamers remained silent and vigilant. No one uttered a sound, their eyes fixed on the popcorn cart and the little boy pushing it, as well as the three charred corpses sitting in the darkness.

Until the fifth row, a burly middle-aged man wearing a tactical vest and with a scar on his face, his Adam's apple bobbed violently as the popcorn cart passed by, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He seemed to have gone through an internal struggle, quickly glancing at the charred corpse sitting quietly not far away, and finally gritted his teeth as if he had made up his mind, reaching out to stop the little boy: "Hey, kid, give me one."

The little boy stopped, looked up, and his smile seemed to widen a little, but his eyes remained empty.

He skillfully opened the glass cover of the popcorn machine, scooped a large paper cup full of snow-white popcorn, and handed it to the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man nervously took the paper cup, quickly glanced at the popcorn inside, then warily looked at the charred corpse sitting motionless not far away. He carefully placed the popcorn cup on the empty seat next to him, without eating it immediately.

Seeing this, Lin Yi and Gulu exchanged a glance and instantly understood that the free popcorn was likely a coping mechanism.

The middle-aged man's behavior confirmed that this thing might be useful, but it also carried risks; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so cautious as to set it aside for the time being.

When the little boy finally arrived at the seventh row, the row where Lin Yi and Gulu were, pushing the creaking metal cart, Lin Yi raised his hand and looked calmly at the little boy: "Here, two portions."

The little boy stopped as instructed, and without the slightest hesitation, mechanically opened the glass dome, scooped out two large cups of popcorn, and handed them to Lin Yi and Gulu respectively.

The moment Lin Yi took the paper cup, he felt a warm touch on his fingertips.

He focused his mind, and the information about the items instantly appeared before his eyes.

[Dream Cinema Popcorn]

Origin: Nightmare Realm.

Quality: gold

Type: Consumables
Effects: After consumption, it will significantly increase resistance to mental pollution, hallucinations, and cognitive interference in a short period of time, and slightly relieve mental fatigue. The effects will last until the end of this movie screening.

Note: This effect is only valid inside the Dream Cinema and will disappear when you leave the cinema or after the movie ends.

Description: Only the whitest popcorn can bring a moment of peace. Remember, yellow means danger; do not touch or eat.

Rating: None (Special item, cannot be rated)

Price: Cannot be taken out of the Nightmare Realm.

Gold-quality items, although consumables used in limited scenarios, are undeniably effective.

It significantly enhances resistance to mental pollution, which is practically a life-saving artifact in this bizarre and nightmarish place.

No wonder Rule 4 specifically mentions and emphasizes that only white should be used.

Lin Yi carefully examined the popcorn in the paper cup. Each kernel was plump and swollen, with a milky white color and an enticing milky and sweet aroma.

He poked at the popcorn with his fingertips a few times to make sure none of the kernels were yellow before placing the popcorn cup on the armrest of his seat.

Gulu also checked it over, and only after confirming that everything was correct did he take the popcorn in his hand. However, he did not eat it immediately, but just sniffed it, his eyes flickering, as if he was analyzing the ingredients or thinking about something else.

A few minutes later, the lights in the theater went out again, leaving only the opening credits flashing on the big screen.

This time, the film seems to have turned into a psychological thriller with a cold color palette and extremely low saturation.

The footage is often distorted and out of focus, or contains a lot of meaningless fast cuts.

The soundtrack is extremely disturbing, filled with a lot of discordant, sharp noises and sudden, heavy sound effects.

The film's content is obscure and difficult to understand, filled with various hints and eerie scenes.

Time seemed to grow thick and slow under this constant mental torment, each minute feeling like torture. About an hour later, the scene on the screen changed again.

The camera zooms in on a close-up of a little girl hiding in a closet, peering out through a crack. Her eyes are enormous and filled with fear.

Suddenly, her fearful gaze changed, becoming empty and eerie. Then, her gaze pierced through the screen and locked precisely onto Lin Yi.

The little girl revealed a wicked smile that was definitely not something a child should have. She slowly raised her hand, her fingers curling, and flicked them toward Lin Yi's direction.

That familiar gaze returned, colder than before, as if invisible threads were trying to burrow into his brain.

Rule 3 was triggered again.

But this time, Lin Yi did not immediately bow his head.

He immediately reached into the paper cup, grabbed a few warm popcorn kernels, quickly stuffed them into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

The popcorn has a crispy and sweet taste. Almost the instant you swallow it, a strange cool sensation rises from your stomach and quickly floods your brain.

The chilling sensations that tried to penetrate his consciousness seemed to have met their nemesis, and were instantly blocked and greatly diminished.

Although he could still feel the malicious gaze, it could no longer easily affect his mind.

Lin Yi looked at the screen again.

Sure enough! The little girl on the screen had returned to normal, still looking frightened and terrified, huddled in the closet trembling, as if the eerie scene had never happened.

The popcorn worked.

However, not everyone has popcorn.

The two dreamers sitting in the first and third rows did not ask the little boy for popcorn. The moment the character on the screen waved, their faces turned ashen, clearly indicating that they had suffered a severe mental shock.

They sprang from their seats, staggering as they tried to rush out to the restroom—the escape route provided by Rule 3.

But the moment they stood up—

A sudden change occurred!

The three charred corpses, who had been motionless like statues since they sat down, began to move.

The charred corpse closest to the skinny man in the third row made a soft "crack" sound as its head turned towards the fleeing man.

A charred, carbonized arm gripped the ankle of the dreamer who was trying to escape.

"Ah!!!" The dreamer let out a shrill scream, feeling an immense force and an indescribable burning pain in his ankle, as if he were being clamped by red-hot iron pincers.

He struggled desperately to shake it off, kicking the charred arm of the corpse wildly with his other foot, but only managed to kick off some carbonized fragments. The arm remained motionless, as if it had been cast from steel.

Almost at the same time, another charred corpse lunged at the woman in the first row.

The woman reacted extremely quickly, her survival instincts kicking in amidst extreme fear. She roared, and a pale blue energy surged from her body, as if she wanted to use some kind of weapon to fight back.

The moment the charred corpse's arm grabbed her shoulder, all the energy fluctuations vanished as if a flame had been extinguished.

The next moment, a scene that sent chills down the spines of all who witnessed it unfolded.

The two dreamers who were touched by the charred corpse began to melt at a visible rate, like wax figures exposed to extremely high temperatures.

Skin, muscles, bones... everything was softening and liquefying, emitting eerie blue smoke.

Their screams became distorted and deformed, their bodies rapidly collapsed in their agonizing struggles, turning charred black, and finally, in just a few seconds, they completely turned into a small pool of steaming black ash, which lay scattered on their original seats and the carpet next to them, leaving only some small pieces of bone and clothing fibers that had not completely melted.

The two charred corpses, having completed their "mission," slowly retracted their arms. The light in their eye sockets seemed to flicker with satisfaction for a moment before they returned to their previous state, as if they had never moved.

The entire theater was deathly silent.

Only the psychological thriller on the screen continued to play its distorted images and noises, along with the lingering, pungent stench in the air—a mixture of the sweet smell of popcorn, the stench of burning flesh, and… the stench of freshly charred bones and meat.

The remaining dreamers, including Lin Yi and Gulu, silently watched the two pools of human-shaped ashes.

The latter part of Rule 3, "then get up and go to the restroom," is likely predicated on... the absence of these charred corpses.

Or rather, the existence of these charred corpses is itself part of the rules of this theater, another hidden death trap.

Popcorn might be the key to avoiding this trap.

The movie continues, and nobody knows what will happen next.

Lin Yi's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his chair. His gaze swept over the three charred corpses and the doorway the little boy had left through, his mind racing as he tried to piece together the fragmented information.

The theater fell into dead silence, with only the changing lights and shadows on the screen, the faint hum of electricity, and the distorted soundtrack of the film itself.

He glanced at Gulu. Gulu was also staring at the charred corpse, unconsciously fiddling with a piece of popcorn between his fingers, but not eating it.

The other surviving dreamers were even more terrified, their bodies huddled tightly in their seats, even their breathing deliberately quiet, for fear of attracting any unnecessary attention.

When they looked at the popcorn cups next to Lin Yi and Gulu, their eyes were filled with regret and greed, but no one dared to make a move.

Robbery? In this godforsaken place, that's practically the fastest way to commit suicide.

The movie continued, and after the earlier interlude, the psychological thriller on the screen seemed even more unsettling.

Mental pollution is everywhere. Even through the resistance brought about by popcorn, Lin Yi could still sense a subtle murmur.

The pressure on someone without the protection of popcorn is unimaginable.

Time passed slowly under such intense pressure, each minute and second feeling like walking on a knife's edge.

Finally, the end credits began to roll, and the lights in the theater flickered a few times with an extremely unstable "snap" before turning on completely. Although it was still so dim that one could barely see anything, it dispelled much of the eerie atmosphere brought by the screen.

The survivors breathed a sigh of relief almost simultaneously, but immediately became wary again.

Because that faceless ticket inspector appeared once again at the theater exit, like a cold gatekeeper blocking the only way out.

Having learned from the previous experience, no one tried to force their way in again; everyone immediately pulled out their movie tickets.

Lin Yi looked at his ticket stub, and sure enough, the number on it had changed again.

Hall number: 6, seat: row 9, seat 01.

Gulu's ticket stub was also changed: "Hall No.: 6, Seat: Row 9, No. 02".

It seems that "changing theaters for a movie" is a fixed procedure here and cannot be avoided.

I just don't know where this will end. Will we have to keep watching until a certain "movie" ends, or will we have to collect enough "showtimes"?
Just as everyone was checking their movie tickets, the mascot dressed in a black ceremonial uniform with a stiff smile turned to the group holding their new ticket stubs, then mechanically raised its hand and made a "please" gesture.

The surviving dreamers silently stood up and followed the puppet out of the fifth screening room.

The hallway seemed even more dilapidated, with more noticeable stains on the carpet and the wallpaper peeling badly, revealing the blackened wall behind it.

The puppet led them to a door marked "Hall 6".

This door looked heavier than the doors in Halls 4 and 5. The dark wood door had intricate but worn carvings, and there were traces of what looked like oil stains on the doorknob.

The moment the door was pushed open, a chilling aura rushed out.

The interior space of Hall 6 seemed smaller than the previous two, but the seats were more densely packed, and almost all of the seats were dilapidated. Many seats had torn surfaces, outward-curling foam, and even some seat frames were twisted and deformed, as if they had been subjected to some kind of violent destruction.

The screen is no longer a clean white, but is covered with tiny scratches and difficult-to-clean yellow stains.

The theater was even less cluttered; aside from the few newcomers, the entire space reeked of decay. (End of Chapter)