The woman finally showed a trace of shock. However, she could neither defend nor dodge Mu Anqi's bizarre control skill, and could only watch helplessly as the blade struck her, cleaving her entire body in two.
The outer skin was cut open, revealing a hollow inside. The ghost's Yin energy dissipated. The face of the skinned woman, now split open, crumpled like waste paper and fell to the ground. Her expression appeared twisted and ferocious, yet her tone betrayed no fear: "Oh my, I've been cut in half."
With that novel tone, anyone unaware would think she had discovered something fascinating.
This skin suit was indeed also being controlled. Even after being split in two, the remaining pieces of skin struggled to attempt "sit-ups," though it looked utterly grotesque. By all reasoning, Mu Anqi had seen plenty, but she had truly never encountered a situation like this ghost's.
Why?
"Did you write yourself into a strange tale too?" Mu Anqi couldn't help but ask. This phrasing wasn't entirely accurate, as this woman's ability was precisely to create strange tales, so calling herself a "strange tale" was also possible. What Mu Anqi meant to express was that the woman had used her ability on herself, thereby amplifying her own power, granting herself more enhancements and abilities within her own domain.
Ji Huaichu no longer held back. Black mist rose around her, and familiar ghostly figures surged forth from the fog, all charging towards the skin-suited woman. The Yin energy overflowing from the female ghost was devoured by the specters, and that skin suit—
Mu Anqi expressionlessly took out a Molotov cocktail and gently smashed it onto the skin suit. The flames engulfed it. Immediately, an indescribable smell of burning and the woman's piercing shrieks filled the air.
It was only then that Ji Huaichu used the tip of her long sword to lift a piece of the skin and began a "friendly" recruitment: "Leave this place with us, pledge your loyalty to me… or die."
Ji Huaichu's words were excessively icy. Thinking that this creator of strange tales was at least a talented ghost, Mu Anqi added, "We've launched a narrative game, similar to your Black Mirror Vortex. If you're willing to pledge loyalty, you can continue writing your strange tales. There will also be different people entering that world to experience your—"
"Okay! Okay! Save me—" the woman screamed, agreeing immediately without even waiting for Mu Anqi to finish her sentence. The flames had burned her skin suit to a crisp, and her Yin energy was constantly being plundered and eroded by Ji Huaichu's specters. She could feel her own strength continuously declining! The power of the strange tales she had painstakingly created within the Black Mirror Vortex was also constantly waning. If this continued, not only would the strange tales she created disappear, but she would also die again!
Thud.
The skin suit was flung onto a patch of ground clear of flames. Ji Huaichu recalled the specters. Distractedly, she used Yin energy to cover the Molotov cocktail's fire, extinguishing the flames. Then, she used her long sword to sift through the ashes, picking out the unburned pieces of skin and tossing them towards the empty area for the woman to reintegrate herself.
"…And I just wanted to write a few stories." Having narrowly escaped death, her ghostly Yin energy concentration greatly reduced, she sighed mournfully while clutching the pieces of skin in her ghost form. However, as soon as she uttered these words, she felt a chill down her spine. Not daring to look at Ji Huaichu, she wisely shut her mouth, used her ability to repair the skin suit, created a new one, and slipped it over herself.
Having done all this, she seemed even weaker. But she didn't stop. Instead, she glanced at Ji Huaichu and then whispered to Mu Anqi, "I need to take back the strange tales to bring them out with me… If I'm to pledge loyalty, I need to have some ability too, right?"
"Of course you can. But I'm a bit curious: Are the strange tales you create a part of you?"
"Ah, this… I just created them. They each have their own thoughts. But their power originates from me." The woman was stunned by the question, then answered.
This answer reminded Mu Anqi inexplicably of a queen bee. She nodded somewhat comprehendingly and watched as the woman seriously closed her eyes and activated her ability. The first to be affected was the Red Umbrella, because it was the closest. The Red Umbrella let out a terrified scream: "No! No! I don't want to—" before transforming into a red ball of light, which the woman caught in her hands.
As time passed, more and more colored balls of light converged from all directions of this fabricated city, each caught by the woman one after another.
'It seems a few are missing,' the woman thought, not daring to voice it aloud. Some of the strange tales she created had no offensive power at all, like the little hide-and-seek creature—when you walk alone on a dark road, a child's laughter sounds behind you, and it invites you to play hide-and-seek. But nothing happens whether you agree or not, and nothing happens whether you catch it or not if you agree; it's just a lonely child. Storing the balls of light within her skin suit, the woman straightened her clothes—these clothes seemed to be created by her ability just like the skin suit, and it was unclear whether they were real or virtual. She looked at Mu Anqi and the others: "Alright, I will pledge my loyalty to you, continue creating strange tales in that game… Shall we leave now?"
Mu Anqi looked at Ji Huaichu. After confirming there was nothing left to handle, she nodded and said, "Hmm, of course, it's time to leave."
[Game Scenario Cleared: Bizarre Tales and Strange Words. Grading in progress—]
[Grade: S (The Master of Strange Tales has been subdued by you, the strange tales have been rounded up completely. A perfect clear indeed.)]
[Passive Triggered! Obtained Clear Points: 2500]
[Drawing Formal Player Clear Reward Item—]
[Congratulations, Player, for obtaining the item: Eerie Doll]
[Eerie Doll]: Indestructible/Infinite Repairs. A doll with an eerie smile, deeply loved by children~ But when adults see it, they feel an indescribable fear.
[Special Marker Detected!]
[Beep! Player, please proceed to the next game within seven days! (Or be forced into a game after 168 hours)]
[Teleport back to Nirvana Space?]
No. Since she was with the General, they would definitely leave the game together.
Mu Anqi glanced at the [Eerie Doll], and that layer of mental protection suddenly shattered. A crisp crack sounded in her mind before Mu Anqi realized what had happened—this item actually backfires on its owner?!
Well, perhaps this couldn't really be considered a player-owned item, just an object with special effects. Carrying this thing around would be hard to utilize effectively. Mu Anqi thought about it and decided to gift it to the Dramatist, to see if the doll could be placed inside the temple as a little easter egg for players to contribute emotional value. Its indestructible and infinitely repairable properties were also great, no need to worry about players getting furious and trying to destroy the "easter egg."
'Hmm, after players discover they can't destroy it, they might contribute even more emotional value, right?'
Mu Anqi stored the doll in her storage ring, took Ji Huaichu's hand, and said, "Then let's go! After we go out, you must stick close to us. If you get captured by someone else… we can't guarantee what might happen. When we get back to our place, someone will tell you the common knowledge of this continent and the work you need to do."
Speaking of work, Mu Anqi thought of Xia Fenghua, and thinking of Xia Fenghua, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "That doll affects all adults. Does Xia Fenghua count as an adult or a minor?"
"Nirvana Continent seems to calculate based on 'Age at Death'," Ji Huaichu said. "You'll know once you show it to her."
"True."
…
They hadn't stayed too long in the Black Mirror Vortex, so not much time had passed in the Shattered Mirror Continent either. When the vortex dissipated and Mu Anqi's group emerged, it was still the same ancient-attired female ghost receiving them. It seemed Lady Red was still at the banquet and hadn't returned yet.
"Please give my regards to the Lady." Perhaps because they had taken a ghost from the Black Mirror Vortex in her territory, Ji Huaichu's tone was extremely mild as she said this.
The ancient-attired female ghost seriously acknowledged the request. She led Mu Anqi and the others back to where the airship had previously docked before asking, "Might it be convenient to disclose this ghost's general ability? Regarding the situation within this Black Mirror Vortex, we also hope the General can later send someone to brief us."
"Creation of Strange Tales," Ji Huaichu said calmly. "This Black Mirror Vortex was entirely composed of various strange tales. As for more detailed information, Xia Fenghua will liaise with you."
"Strange tales… Thank you, General." The ancient-attired female ghost looked thoughtfully at the Strange tale ghost, who didn't dare make a sound and wished she could become invisible. She smiled slightly, bowed respectfully and very properly, "I won't see you off further. Farewell."
It wasn't until they boarded the airship that Mu Anqi couldn't help but take a few more glances at the Strange tale ghost: "You weren't even afraid of being cut in half, why are so nervous now?"
The Strange tale ghost didn't know how to explain, and before she could, Ji Huaichu spoke up: "She's been seen through."
"Wan Jin's ability is very special; she can see through a ghost's weakness," Ji Huaichu explained. "She is a capable general under Lady Red."
"Is she very powerful? How does her strength compare to Xia Fenghua's?"
"Xia Fenghua isn't the combat type," Ji Huaichu said tactfully. "But Wan Jin is very versatile."
"Ah, I see… Then why does she pledge loyalty to Lady Red?" Mu Anqi was extremely curious. A powerful ghost… why not establish her own faction?
Ji Huaichu thought for a moment and said, "Because of Lady Red's own charisma."
By the time they returned to the General's residence, the already swamped little kid Xia Fenghua had gained new work. Ji Huaichu recounted the situation in the Black Mirror Vortex, while the little kid Xia Fenghua diligently took notes. Mu Anqi even secretly took out the eerie doll to show Xia Fenghua, but the overwhelmed kid just glanced at the doll calmly and wasn't drawn to it. Clearly, in the eerie doll's judgment, Xia Fenghua was a "minor."
After the debriefing, Ji Huaichu still had to handle the official duties that had accumulated during this period, which also helped share part of Xia Fenghua's burden. Mu Anqi took this opportunity to bring the Strange tale ghost to find the Dramatist. She handed the eerie doll to the Dramatist to use as a prop placed within the game, then introduced them to each other—after all, they would be "colleagues" from now on and needed to help each other.
Regarding common sense knowledge, since Xia Fenghua had no time, the Dramatist and Mu Anqi first informed the Strange tale ghost. Then they took the Strange tale ghost for a preliminary experience of the game, to see how to incorporate strange tales into it, enhancing the game's fun and playability.
Mu Anqi thought, the updates to their game were happening rather quickly. If the previous batch of players came to play again, they'd probably be left questioning their life.