58: Chapter 58 Basement

Sam Ricardo was once a Magician's apprentice, and his teacher was the greatest Magician in the world.

This Magician possessed boundless fame.

Privilege, wealth, and could even sleep with almost any woman who yearned for a touch of romanticism.

Facing Sam, a clever student, he was very satisfied in his heart and wanted to pass on all his life's unique skills to Sam.

Of course, this also included some absolutely unspeakable magic.

Once, Sam was repeatedly practicing backstage.

The magic his teacher had taught him today was very strange.

The props used were no longer things within reach like "pigeons, fish tanks, or playing cards."

Instead, they were things like distillation flasks that only chemists would use, and... dark liquids of unknown composition.

At the very beginning, Sam stared at the colorful liquids before him.

He didn't feel it was strange in his heart.

Most techniques in magic are physical phenomena, but occasionally chemistry is used to set the mood.

Just like conjuring rainbow-colored cotton candy out of thin air on the spot.

However, after following the teacher's instructions and gradually adding the liquids from the test tubes into the distillation flask in order, accompanied by the rising of scorching steam.

Sam noticed something was wrong.

There was starlight flickering within those liquids.

And they seemed to be wriggling inside as if they had vitality.

Until Sam lifted the contents of the last bottle, right before pouring it in.

He actually saw a layer of something floating inside the bottle.

Sam put down the bottle and observed it carefully.

His breathing became rapid, and cold sweat seeped out of every pore.

The things floating on top of the dark liquid were a group of disgusting bugs.

They were soaked on the surface of the water, sliding their fine antennae as if they had encountered waves, with only the planks of a ship left, struggling to survive while clinging to them.

And even more terrifying was that the feet of this group of bugs were stepping on a spherical object.

To ensure their heads could extend above the water's surface.

And that spherical object was actually a human eyeball!

Sam was terrified; he slumped onto the ground.

At this moment, the red curtain backstage was lifted, and the young, beautiful girl, his only fan Anna Catherine, rushed in.

Seeing the distillation flask on the table, she thought it was another new trick that Sam was researching.

She walked over with great curiosity.

"No! Don't go over there!" Sam warned loudly.

However, it was ultimately a beat too late.

Sam had not poured the last bottle of liquid into it within the specified time, and the scorching heat had already exceeded expectations.

The semi-finished magic solution exploded on the spot, spraying an intense flash of light in all directions.

Anna Catherine's exclamation was drowned out by the intense light, and from then on, she could no longer touch sunlight.

Afterward, when the two met again, Anna Catherine had already married.

It wasn't until her husband died mysteriously that you met again, getting to know each other through work.

By this time, you were no longer a Magician, and she had also shelved her sad memories, and you walked together again.

As a species, humans are no better than fish when it comes to memory.

Those sad and painful memories may seem to be secretly hidden in the labyrinth of your memory, but eventually, one day.

You will still walk back, take another look at the entrance of the labyrinth, and then, driven by desire, walk back in again.

Sam discovered his teacher's secret, and he felt his scalp tingle.

Magic is indeed fake, but it's all just attention-seeking parlor tricks.

And the teacher's magic was, of course, also fake.

Because that was not magic at all.

It was...

Magic!

"The coin I gave you is a prop that your teacher once used. As for who the person performing on stage was? And what the name of the magic he performed was."

"I want to know."

"Oh! And one more thing, you guessed right. My purpose in coming to this room is, of course, not just to flirt with your Brother-in-law."

"My true identity is actually a fervent magic enthusiast."

"I also want to obtain the formula for that magic you failed at back then."

"But unfortunately, it's kept in a safe, and only your wife knows the password."

"So... tell me the name of the person performing on stage first."

[Character background unlocked: 1/3]

[Name: Sam's Memoir]

[Reward: Wife's safe password: LOVESM]

Chen Mo saw the prompt before him, and his eyes immediately lit up.

Magic, huh? If the safe is opened, there should be more than just the failed magic formula; there will be other rewards as well.

So Sam really was a Magician, which just happens to match Chen Mo's occupation card.

Chen Mo could already imagine that after clearing this dungeon, he would likely be rewarded with quite a few things related to magic.

Moreover, there is an unspoken rule in the Thriller Game.

If the items carried are all compatible with the occupation card, it can also trigger hidden attributes.

Chen Mo was secretly delighted and couldn't help but feel a bit expectant.

"Sorry, Ms. Amy, I think you should know more."

Chen Mo was flicking that shiny coin in his hand.

The coin flew into the air and landed back in Chen Mo's palm.

He spread his palm open, showing the obverse side, which was engraved with a hexagram pattern.

"The chips should be an equivalent exchange."

"Although you emphasize wanting to obtain black magic, what you really want to know is what that magic performance I saw actually was, right?"

"You mentioned magic 3 times, but black magic only once, so you are still hiding the truth."

"And... whose coin is this? Why can only I see the memories within it, and what do you want to use it for?"

"You seem to have told me a dusty past, but even if I completely forgot it, what impact would that have on my current life?"

Chen Mo was clearly unwilling to give up the opportunity to fleece the sheep.

Although Amy had helped him unlock one-third, Chen Mo was not yet satisfied and wanted Amy to try a little harder.

If she could help him unlock another third, Chen Mo would definitely stop.

You can't keep fleecing the same sheep forever.

Upon hearing this, Amy couldn't help but swallow.

She thought to herself: "Damn it, this player is really hard to please. If it were any other player, seeing someone as beautiful as me, plus the story I told."

"They should have already obediently told me the name of the magic."

"What's even worse is... this player is actually a Sigma male."

"Focused only on learning and reasoning, completely unmoved by beauty."

[Amy Seeger: Sanity - 20, 480 / 500]

"No, what exactly is going on in her head? Am I that scary?" Chen Mo felt a bit speechless.

He didn't expect that internal conflict could also lower Sanity.

"Sam? Amy, what are you two doing? It's getting late, it's time to rest!"

The window on the second floor opened, and the wife shouted at the two people downstairs.

Amy saw the wife and felt as if she had seen her savior.

Her current state was not good; her mentality had already been broken by Chen Mo.

She needed to rest well and think of a countermeasure.

"Hehe, Brother-in-law, sweet dreams."

"I'll tell you tomorrow."

After saying this, Amy flipped her alluring red hair and swayed her body as she entered the Villa.

Chen Mo did not return to his room; he made up a random excuse to his wife.

He then walked in the direction of the Basement.