The illusion shattered like glass.
Luo Shu found himself back in the "Paraíso Cigar" containment unit, the only light coming from Pikachu's unwavering headlights.
The cigar in his hand had barely burned down—now extinguished.
"How long was I out?" he asked the truck.
"Master, 'out'? You never left," Pikachu responded via radio static.
The answer told him everything.
The "heaven" had lasted less than a second.
In that blink, he'd lived a dream—revenge achieved, peace restored, freedom absolute...
But like the myth of the New World's "sweet air," it was a lie. The unit remained dark, damp, real.
This was the difference between fantasy and truth.
Some people clung to delusion even as reality slapped them raw, screaming "The New World is paradise! Even its farts smell sweet!"
Luo Shu wasn't one of them.
Yet the aftertaste lingered—a hollow ache.
He sighed, flipping open the Anomaly Encyclopedia to assess his real gains.
[Page 129]
Designation: Unnumbered (Rights retained by the SCP Foundation)
Title: Heaven's Cigar (Named by Luo Shu)
Object Class: Safe
Description:
A genuine Havana cigar, crafted from Viñales Valley tobacco—sun-dried, fermented for two years, then rolled on the bare thighs of virgin girls before aging in oak barrels for five years minimum.
When smoked, it conjures visions:
Viñales' misty valleys
Varadero's sun-drenched beaches
The scent of Cuban maidens
A paradise.
Originally mundane, its anomaly manifested after exposure to an unknown entity in Viñales Valley, warping it into a conduit for personal utopias.
Critical Notes:
Time dilation: 1 real second = 1 dream day.
Mental strain scales equivalently.
10+ seconds of smoking = brain death.
Containment Protocols:
Terminate usage after 3 seconds via sedatives if unresponsive.
After 10 seconds, declare subject unsalvageable.
Anomalous Property: Taste of Heaven
One puff grants entry to your perfect world.
(Encyclopedia advisory: Smoking kills. Even Havana cigars.)
Status: Contained
Revelations & Risks
Luo Shu's spine chilled.
Had he lingered in that "heaven" for days—even weeks—his brain would've fried like overcooked eggs.
But the entry also confirmed two things:
SCP-3125 was likely in Viñales Valley (the cigar's corruption source).
Renaming worked. "Heaven's Cigar" counted toward his Anomaly Namer milestone (now 7/10).
With 9 anomalies discovered, he needed one more to hit Tier 2.
No time to waste.
He tossed the cigar box back into its safe and moved to the next unit.
The Coffee Trap
A rusted safe held 47 unlabeled coffee sachets—another Safe-class item. Untouched since SCP-3125's 1962 outbreak, they'd survived intact.
The safe resisted even SCP-005's lockpicking. Pikachu's brake-disc-turned-buzzsaw pried it open.
Inside, the moment Luo Shu lifted a sachet, it morphed into a steaming cup of coffee—cup, liquid, and heat conjured from nothing.
This time, he didn't test it.
The paper records here were mostly legible. No need to risk another anomaly's effects.
Resisting the aroma, he shoved the cup back. The Encyclopedia updated instantly.
[Page 130]
Designation: Unnumbered
Title: Workaholic's Instant Coffee (Named by Luo Shu)
Object Class: Safe
Description:
47 sachets of anomalous coffee. (Author's Note: Details omitted for pacing. DM [超脑剑仙] for full docs.)
Effects:
72-hour wakefulness without fatigue.
No sleep debt (until crash).
Warning: Post-use dreams may be… aberrant.
Containment:
Humidity ≤80% (desiccants recommended).
Status: Contained
Milestone Watch
Anomaly Discoverer: 9/10 → 1 more to Tier 2
Anomaly Namer: 7/10 → 3 more to Tier 2
Luo Shu cracked his knuckles.
Three anomalies left in Site-167.
Time to hunt.