Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The two had just sat down and hadn't even had a chance to properly observe their surroundings when the entrance door was pushed open once again.

It was the same little boy, with a pale face, empty eyes, and an unchanging, stiff smile, pushing the popcorn cart with its warm yellow lights into view.

The sweet aroma once again filled the hall, masking the strange smell of the theater itself.

But this time, what followed him was no longer a charred corpse, nor was it any normal creature.

Behind the little boy was what looked more like a swollen corpse that had been soaked in water for a long time, with pale, wrinkled skin and murky liquid dripping down, leaving winding watermarks on the carpet.

Their bodies were swollen to almost a sphere, their limbs were as thick and clumsy as overinflated rubber gloves, and their eyes were two completely white spheres without any trace of pupils, just a blank space.

They made a wet, splattering sound as they moved, each step like a suction cup pulling them out of the mud, carrying a stench of riverbed silt mixed with rotting aquatic life that instantly overpowered the sweet aroma of popcorn, filling the entire space.

The four floating corpses silently followed the little boy, their eyes slowly moving, scanning the new living person, then stiffly dispersing and choosing to sit in the dilapidated seats in the four corners, the murky liquid immediately soaking the seats.

"Popcorn~ Fresh popcorn~ Free samples~" The little boy's shouts rang out again, still in that flat, stiff tone, which sounded particularly eerie in this even more bizarre environment.

He pushed the cart, its wheels rolling over the wet, slippery carpet, and began to move forward from the first row.

The huddled figure in the first row didn't react at all.

The little boy passed the second row, the third row... This time, almost without hesitation, everyone rushed up and asked for a serving of popcorn.

All the dreamers stopped the little boy: "Give it to me! Give me one right now!"

The little boy, with the same expression, scooped a cup of popcorn and gave it to everyone present.

The group gripped the paper cup tightly, as if it were a lifeline, and immediately examined the color of the popcorn inside. Only after confirming that it was all white did they hold it close to their arms.

The little boy continued walking backwards.

Sixth row, seventh row, eighth row...

When the popcorn cart arrived at the ninth row where Lin Yi and Gulu were, Lin Yi still reached out and asked for a serving, since no one would complain about having too much of this stuff.

Lin Yi took the paper cup and immediately checked its color.

It was still pure white popcorn, emitting an enticing aroma and a warm temperature.

The item information remains unchanged; it is still a gold-quality anti-pollution item.

But he noticed a subtle difference: the popcorn seemed to be a little less hot than it was in Hall 5.

It's no longer piping hot, fresh out of the oven, but has become mild, even... approaching room temperature.
Moreover, within that extremely sweet aroma, there seems to be a very faint... rancid smell?

Is it because this theater is older and the equipment is less sophisticated? Or is it...?

Lin Yi glanced at the four floating corpses sitting in the corner, dripping water, then looked at the warm popcorn in his hand, and a sense of vigilance rose in his heart.

He didn't eat it immediately, but placed the popcorn cup beside him and more carefully observed the changes in his surroundings.

Gulu held a piece of popcorn to his nose and sniffed it carefully as if he wanted to enjoy the aroma.

Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and her small nostrils twitched slightly, clearly indicating that she had also noticed the unpleasant odor.

She turned her head and glanced at Lin Yi. Their eyes met briefly in the dim light. Without a word, they both understood what the other had discovered—there was something wrong with the popcorn; it wasn't as pure as the popcorn in Hall 5.

By this time, the little boy had pushed the cart to the last row, and then slowly pushed it back, as if waiting to see if anyone else needed it.

Just as the popcorn truck was passing through the aisle between the seventh and eighth rows, something strange happened!
Perhaps it was because the ground was uneven, or perhaps the carpet had become slippery after being soaked by the liquid dripping from the floating corpses, but one wheel of the popcorn cart that the little boy was pushing suddenly jolted, and the whole cart shook violently!
Wow——!
The transparent hemispherical glass dome suddenly popped open, and at least a third of the snow-white popcorn piled up inside was scattered out, landing like a shower of flowers on the nearby carpet and several empty seats!
More importantly, the moment the popcorn was splashed out, Lin Yi clearly saw that at the very bottom of the popcorn machine, right next to the heating element, there were seven or eight kernels of popcorn that were... a strikingly bright yellow!
The yellow popcorn was spilled out, mixed with a lot of white popcorn, and some even rolled down to the feet of an empty seat in the eighth row.

The little boy stopped moving, and for the first time, the stiff smile on his face disappeared, replaced by... a blank expression.

He silently bent down, picked up the glass dome, put it back on, and without even glancing at the spilled popcorn, continued pushing the cart, leaving screening room number 6 at a slightly faster pace than before, as if nothing had happened.

The four floating corpses in the corners remained motionless, with only the dripping water proving they were not sculptures.

Rule 4: [The popcorn machine is free, but please only take white popcorn. If you eat any yellow popcorn, please spit it out immediately and leave the machine.]

And now, yellow popcorn has appeared! And it's mixed in with the scattered popcorn, so close to them!
Popcorn, once a relatively safe gift, has become a deadly game of Russian roulette.

Lin Yi glanced at the popcorn in his cup, then looked at the few yellow dots in the distance.

The horror of Nightmare Cinema is being revealed layer by layer.

It offers hope, yet it also harbors deadly traps.

As the hall number increases, the environment deteriorates, and the "things" that follow change, the traps become increasingly hidden and deadly.

The lights went out again in this extremely oppressive and panicked atmosphere.

The screen in Hall 6 lit up.

This time, there were no introductory advertisements or copyright notices on the screen; it went straight into the main feature.

Moreover, it's no longer a traditional black-and-white or color film, but a first-person perspective video that looks like it was shot handheld by a home portable camcorder.

The image quality is extremely poor, riddled with jagged noise and static, and the colors are distorted.

What you can see is an environment where the light comes only from the lens's built-in fill light. It seems to be an abandoned basement or air-raid shelter, with mottled walls and covered in stains.

The photographer appeared to be running desperately, the camera was shaking violently, and all that could be heard were his own rapid and terrified breathing, and his sobbing with a tearful tone.

Then, as if tripped by something, the camera suddenly turned and focused on a corner piled with clutter.

Amidst several broken planks and tattered burlap sacks, a few rag dolls stained with dark dirt were piled up crookedly.

They are old-fashioned, with rough stitching, and look like they have been abandoned for a long time.

One of the rag dolls was the most eye-catching. Its eyes were two roughly sewn-on black buttons, and its mouth, sewn with needle and thread, was stretched into an exaggerated smile that reached all the way to its ears. Under the camera's light, it looked incredibly sinister.

It's facing the camera.

Amidst the loud electrical noise of the recording and the increasingly violent shaking of the camera, the doll's button eyes shifted unnaturally, piercing through the boundaries of the screen and staring at everyone watching the film.

Even with the added resistance from the popcorn, Lin Yi felt as if his brain had been pricked by a cold, rusty iron needle, and a slight dizziness and nausea followed.

Not far from him, a middle-aged man tightly clutching a popcorn cup let out a gasp of extreme fear the moment the doll in the scene looked over.

The popcorn cup in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

White popcorn rolled all over the ground, mixing with what had been spilled earlier.

The middle-aged man's eyes widened instantly, his pupils filled with the light and shadow reflected from the screen, and endless fear.

His spirit was clearly on the verge of collapse from that momentary shock.

Meanwhile, the first-person perspective recording continues on the screen.

The button-eyed rag doll in the corner, its smile seemingly expanding amidst the noise, growing even more eerie... the real horror seems to have only just begun.

And this dreamer, now deprived of the protection of popcorn, is like prey struggling and bleeding in a dark sea, becoming the most conspicuous target.

The four floating corpses, sitting in the corner dripping water, seemed to shift their eyeballs, "focusing" on the direction of the man.

On the screen, the first-person horror video continued to play, the shaky camera and suppressed breathing intensifying the mental pollution.

The middle-aged man had completely broken down. He clutched his head, letting out painful, hoarse moans. His body convulsed violently on the dilapidated chair, and white foam dripped from the corner of his mouth.

Lin Yi and Gulu exchanged a glance. The situation was clear; they could no longer stand idly by. This Nightmare Cinema was far more difficult than usual. Although these dreamers were strangers, in this bizarre and deadly game of rules, each additional person could potentially provide an opportunity to share the risks or test the rules.

If they are eliminated one by one by these ghostly creatures in the early stages, they will be in a completely passive position when facing a more dangerous situation in the later theaters, with no room for maneuver.

We must preserve this "consumable," at least we can't let him die so young and be so worthless.

Lin Yi tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest.

The next second, a halo silently unfolded beneath his feet.

Five ninja soldiers with glowing red eyes rose from the shadows beside him, knelt on one knee, and awaited orders.

Seeing this, Gulu leaned forward slightly and went into a state of alert.

Her abilities are better suited to close combat, so she can't intervene in situations that require precise control of the situation, but she is always ready to deal with unexpected events.

With a slight thought, Lin Yi summoned five shadowy ninjas who dispersed and instantly appeared beside the seats of the four floating corpses.

They stretched out their hands and pressed them firmly onto the floating corpse's slippery shoulders.

An immense force was applied, and their bodies, which had just begun to lift slightly, were pressed back onto the dilapidated seats by this sudden force, unable to move an inch.

Their water-drenched eyeballs rolled, radiating a thick, venomous resentment.

Almost at the same time, Lin Yi stood up, walked over the seat, and went to the middle-aged man in the front row who was on the verge of collapse. He reached out and patted him lightly on the back.

This slap seemed to contain a calming power. The man suddenly jolted, as if he were a drowning person being forcibly pulled out of the water, breaking free from a state that was almost completely swallowed by fear and pollution.

"Restroom!" Lin Yi's voice was like a command, cutting into his chaotic mind.

He glanced back at Lin Yi blankly, then realized his predicament, and the instinct for survival instantly overwhelmed everything.

The man reacted instantly, and without even thanking him, he scrambled out of his seat and ran wildly toward the exit on the side of the theater that was marked with the direction of the restrooms.

Just as he rushed through the passage, the little boy pushing the popcorn cart reappeared at the entrance of the passage, blocking his way.

His face remained expressionless. Behind him were no longer corpses, but monsters of even more bizarre form, composed of countless twisted shadows, blocking the passage.

Lin Yi's eyes narrowed, but he did not continue to intervene.

He watched this scene with a cold eye, and his suspicions were further confirmed.

This seemingly harmless, even "helpful" popcorn distributor is probably the true core of this nightmare theater, or rather, a BOSS-level entity.

His actions, seemingly following a certain procedure, were in fact a subtle process of guiding and creating death.

The middle-aged dreamer's will to survive kicked in. Seeing that his path was blocked and the mental pollution on the screen continued to assault his brain, he knew he was running out of time.

A pen-shaped metal device instantly appeared in his hand.

Om-!
A blazing light blade instantly sprang out from one end of the device, emitting a steady energy hum, just like a Jedi's lightsaber.

The man brandished his lightsaber, slashing at the two shadowy monsters blocking his path.

The lightsaber was clearly very effective against these monsters. With a flash of light, the two shadowy monsters were torn apart and vaporized in the scorching energy before they could even scream, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating.

However, the man did not dare to point his weapon at the little boy who was pushing the cart.

He didn't even dare to look at the other person. A warning from the depths of his soul was frantically reminding him—attacking this boy, even just pointing the tip of his sword at him, would have consequences ten thousand times more terrifying than facing any number of monsters; it would be true annihilation.

He just wanted to rush over and get to the restroom as quickly as possible.

He bypassed the little boy and his popcorn cart, tumbling and crawling as he continued rushing toward the exit.

Just as he was about to rush out of the theater, the faceless ticket collector appeared silently at the door, stiffly raised a white-gloved hand, and blocked his way.

In its other hand, it held the faint ticket light.

The meaning couldn't be clearer—ticket inspection.

The man was so anxious he was almost going crazy. He could feel the tearing sensation in his brain and the corrupted whispers becoming clearer again. The eerie gaze of the rag doll on the screen was like a tangible object nailed to his back.

He desperately wanted to cleave the damned ticket inspector in two with a single sword strike, but his last shred of reason told him that attacking the ticket inspector would also trigger the instant-death rule.

He could only forcefully suppress his inner anxiety and fear, trembling as he explored his own body.

Fortunately, his movie ticket was still in his pocket.

He practically shoved the crumpled movie ticket into the ticket collector's raised hand.

The faceless ticket inspector took the ticket, his movements still unhurried and deliberate.

It brought the ticket-checking light close to the ticket stub, seemingly checking the hall number, seat number, and some other information on it with extreme "seriousness."

Every second of delay felt like torture for the middle-aged man.

Finally, the ticket inspector finished verifying the tickets.

It nodded stiffly, slowly lowered the arm that had been blocking its way, and made way.

The man was immediately filled with the ecstasy of surviving a disaster; the dawn of hope was right before his eyes.

He was about to rush out, but the moment the ticket inspector finished checking the ticket and lowered his arm, the man's expression suddenly froze.

His eyes lost all their luster, becoming as empty as glass beads; his foot, about to step out, froze in mid-air, and then…

A muffled "thump" was heard.

He fell straight forward, his face slamming heavily onto the equally dirty carpet in the corridor, and remained motionless.

The lightsaber device, which had transformed back into a pen shape, slipped from his hand and rolled to the side with a crisp sound.

His body twitched twice, then he fell completely silent, his life force vanishing instantly.

Just as he fell, the first-person horror video on the screen came to an end, the picture turned into a rustling static, and then the end credits began to roll.

The lights in the theater snapped on, and although still dim, they dispelled some of the eerie atmosphere.

The little boy pushing the popcorn cart didn't even glance at the corpse on the ground. His face remained expressionless as he slowly pushed the cart away down the corridor, his figure disappearing around the dark corner.

The four bloated corpses that had been suppressed by the shadowy ninja lost their strength the moment the lights came on, stopped struggling, and returned to their stiff, statue-like state.

The faceless ticket inspector also reverted to its gatekeeper mode, standing motionless at the exit.

In screening room number 6, only Lin Yi, Gulu, and two other dreamers who had tried to keep their presence as inconspicuous as possible from the beginning remained.

Lin Yi silently waved his hand, and the five shadow ninjas sank into the shadows and disappeared like ink seeping into the ground.

Gulu relaxed his guard, picked up his untouched cup of popcorn, sniffed it again, and frowned, clearly the rancid smell hadn't disappeared.

Almost simultaneously, Lin Yi and Gulu took out their movie tickets again.

Sure enough, the information on the ticket stub had changed again. The handwriting seemed to have been erased and rewritten by an invisible force:
Hall Number: 7

Seat: Row 10, No. 04 (Lin Yi)
Seat: Row 10, Number 05 (Gulu) (End of Chapter)