The mascot of the wishing shop is a cat.

Liu Meng recounted his fear of the red wave, and then, guided by the spirit, explained how he had transformed into a monster.

“I became like that after a sacrifice.”

When Liu Meng said this, he looked up, clearly reminiscing about his previous state of physical freedom.

"I was too greedy. When I was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, it was already in its late stage. In today's society, most cancers can be cured, but those in the late stage are basically incurable. When the doctor told me that if I received chemotherapy and the effect was ideal, I could live for another six to eight months, I was actively cooperating with the treatment at first. I thought that miracles usually happen, so why wasn't it me? But two months later, it was just too painful. Not only chemotherapy, but also endless complications that could appear at any time."

When Liu Meng talked about cancer, it was truly painful. It wasn't just the pain of his impending death, but also the agony of chemotherapy, the constant vomiting, the general discomfort and pain, the clumps of hair falling out, making him feel like a withering plant, each leaf wiping and falling away, and all of this happening at an accelerated pace. He experienced all of this in just two short months.

"Sigh, this is indeed a tragedy. But even in the late stages, I remember the cure rate for esophageal cancer is quite high. Didn't you recover very well afterward?"

Ling Yu expressed his concern at the right time, and even seemed to be in more pain and more empathetic.

"Actually, I wasn't really better. During my fourth round of chemotherapy in the hospital, my condition deteriorated rapidly. I overheard the doctor telling my wife to prepare for my funeral. I was completely devastated. I hid in the hospital bathroom, sobbing uncontrollably. And then! I found this prayer ritual in a toilet stall. It said it could grant all my wishes, and having no other options, I decided to try it..."

"Excuse me for interrupting. Hospitals these days are spotless. Forget about rituals, even the dust is cleaned by robots, and they're checked at least twice a week, I remember. I'm not denying you, I'm just really puzzled, how can this be written into a ritual and go unnoticed?"

Ling Yu interrupted Liu Meng's recollection, because he simply couldn't understand it without being interrupted.

From his observation, Liu Meng wasn't lying, but it was precisely because he wasn't lying that he was even more confused. Now, with so many problems arising from the alien race and evil rituals, and so many people undergoing examinations multiple times a week, where exactly was something being overlooked?!

"Because the people they inspect don't actually use the restroom."

Liu Meng first said something inexplicable, and after realizing that Ling Yu couldn't understand it, he continued, "I was so devastated that I knelt down in the bathroom. When I looked up, I could see a QR code printed on the bottom of the shelf where people put tissues and small items, with a simple sentence written next to it—'Your only hope.'"

"To be honest, I would normally ignore this sentence. But at that moment I was really desperate, so I decisively took out my phone and scanned the code."

"Then, there was nothing superfluous inside, just a simple ritual, and even the offering only required a live chicken."

"I tried it with the mindset of 'nothing to lose,' and the next day, just the second day, my body recovered in a way that was visible to the naked eye. When I did the ritual again three days later, I didn't even feel any pain. A week later, when I did the ritual for the third time, I could clearly feel that my physical condition was better and more energetic than when I was younger. Even my hair, which had fallen out, grew back."

"Then, just as I was feeling smug, they contacted me. They contacted me through a sacrificial ritual array, and as I prayed for good health again, a note appeared, demanding that I do as they commanded, or they would take back my health."

“You know, after experiencing despair, no one wants to lose their health again! From then on, I started doing what they told me to do, and I got deeper and deeper into it.”

Liu Meng slowly recounted how, under control, he was forced to implant alien eggs into the lower-class people and how he set up this huge and dangerous magic array in the slums.

……

"Do you think what he said is true? ⊙(?◇?)?"

Since Lin Xiyue wasn't very interested in this part, she asked Lingji, who was beside her, a question.

"The facts are mostly true, because Lingyu can definitely see through them. But what he said about being forced is definitely false. However, that's not important. What we need is to see how he did these things. We need to thoroughly investigate and eliminate this serious loophole along this line."

Lingji explained it to Lin Xiyue.

"Oh, is that so? I was thinking that this person was forced into it, which was quite pitiful."

Lin Xiyue said somewhat naively.

"These kinds of criminals all act this way, just like how most people subconsciously make excuses for themselves when they do something wrong. That's why we usually study a little journalism to understand what's hidden in their words and what they're really saying. If you're interested, you can buy a book and read it yourself; you'll find the news much more interesting then!"

Lingji gave Lin Xiyue a suggestion.

Wow! Oh, okay!

……

In the short time it took for Lin Xiyue and Lingji to exchange a few words, Liu Meng brought up another topic that everyone present was concerned about—how he mutated.

"After I recalled all the messengers, they took me to a portal. Yang Xilu was the one sent to monitor me; she's an esper. She opened a portal and took me to a strange place where there was only land and nothing but emptiness in the distance. Then Yang Xilu drugged me, and when I woke up, I had become that monster."

Liu Meng's expression turned pained again, but he continued, "When I was inside the monster, I was in a daze. Everything seemed to be shrouded in mist. I could only make the most basic judgments."

"He's lying; he knows he'll turn into a monster."

No sooner had Liu Meng finished speaking than Ling Ji said something with certainty.

"Huh? Why? ゛('◇')?"

Lin Xiyue was puzzled.

"Because he made a clear judgment when he attacked you."

……