When attacked, its entire body would turn into a black mist, causing physical attacks to pass right through it. Yet, when it launched its own assaults, it could effortlessly shift its body back, not only striking the enemy but also siphoning their life force.
"We need to end this before the black mist spreads further." Mu Anqi observed the mist beyond the wall and, recalling the name of this Black Mirror vortex, "Fear Fortress," began to form a new hypothesis about the scenario's plot.
The buildings in the town started to warp slightly. The shadowy creature continuously emitted faint, dark smoke that carried an indescribable odor, yet it was so subtle it almost vanished when one tried to focus on it.
"The black mist is problematic; it amplifies fear in people's hearts and induces mental illusions." Wu Sansheng quickly deduced the mist's effect. She glanced at the remaining duration of her group-support skill. "Please finish this quickly."
Otherwise, once the protection faded, the "fear" generated by Qing Tian alone could lead to undesirable changes.
Mu Anqi continuously recited words of blessing, but her skill failed yet again. Was it because the black mist had no physical form, making any action invisible? Or were the countless mists outside the wall also part of it? Had they broken its seal, allowing it to reclaim its full power? She needed an opportunity, needed to wait for the black mist to attack again.
"O dark power slumbering within my bloodline, awaken now!" Fang Yinju gathered her energy and finally activated her skill. "I am the supreme evil god! Bow down! Tremble!"
— "Embodiment of Misfortune!"
A wisp of black mist, nearly identical to the surrounding fog, merged into the creature's form. It paused momentarily, seemingly puzzled, but then continued its onslaught, apparently unaffected.
"Severance of Fortune!" Zhao Guogu focused seriously, directing her ability at the shadow! An intangible force of luck was steadily stripped away, though no one could see its form.
Under the influence of these two unseen debuffs, He Guxia launched another attack. Her sharp longsword split into a hundred copies, forming a dense sword array in the air above. With a wave of her hand, the swords shot down, shredding through the black mist. Amidst the sharp whistling of blades, countless tendrils of mist were severed and then coalesced again. In the midst of this chaotic struggle, Ji Huaichu's army of a hundred specters also pounced. They didn't tear the mist apart but instead grabbed hold of it and devoured it voraciously. Before any adverse changes could affect them, they would return to the ghostly mist that created them for recovery, immediately followed by a fresh wave of phantoms emerging to continue the consumption.
In such a battle, Jiang Yuexia, the Ye sisters, and Bai Yulai—these demon kings—found it difficult to contribute effectively. After all, the black mist could drain life force. While the Ye sisters' vines would merely wither if drained, causing no direct harm to their true bodies, it would be a different story if Jiang Yuexia or Bai Yulai were enveloped by the mist…
Xia Yun controlled her life-bound sword, joining her master in shredding the mist to disperse it completely. Fang Xunjiu held a stack of "Nice Guy" cards, attempting to use them, but the black mist remained completely unresponsive.
The sky grew darker.
Mu Anqi kept reciting blessings, but the black mist, laden with various misfortune-debuffing effects, stubbornly refused to attack again. Just as she grew anxious, unsure what to do, she suddenly noticed that the density of the mist in front of her seemed lower than elsewhere. The glowing brooch on her chest… seemed capable of dispersing the mist emitted by the monster?
Could it be… light?
Does light dispel fear? Mu Anqi wasn't sure, but she had enough props to test the theory. She hurled a Man-Made Mini Sun directly at the distorted wall. Instantly, the blinding light restored the warped wall to its original form! The black mist near the light source sizzled and vanished without a trace.
"General!" Mu Anqi shouted, tossing the Man-Made Mini Sun to Ji Huaichu. Although Ji Huaichu had been controlling the specters, she had also been keeping an eye on Mu Anqi's situation and had seen everything. Without hesitation, Ji Huaichu affixed the Mini Sun to her long blade. Clutching the light source, she charged into the area engulfed by the black mist. "Use lighting tools!"
Xia Yun was taken aback for a moment, then quickly rummaged through her backpack for a Man-Made Mini Sun. This lighting prop cost 2 points each, provided strong illumination, and nearly every player kept one or two on hand. She initially intended to attach it to her own life-bound sword, but as she pulled it out, a feeling struck her. She looked up and met He Guxia's gaze—"Master, for you!"
The black mist creature recoiled in pain, the roiling fog emitting a thunderous "boom." Finally, the incessant loop of the word "Fear" in the players' minds ceased. As if enraged, the black mist from all directions coalesced into an even larger humanoid form. It swung its arm heavily, attempting to crush the approaching Ji Huaichu and He Guxia, while simultaneously moving closer to the other players, seemingly intent on stomping these pesky ants. However, the moment it took action, Mu Anqi's eyes lit up: "I wish you supreme success in all things, may everything go as you wish, triple blessings arrive, and wealth flow in abundantly!" Fearful of missing this chance, she blurted out four blessings in one breath, satisfied to see the black mist's movements freeze instantly. Then, it slowly squatted down on the spot… and promptly stood on its head!
And in that very instant, countless longswords once again shredded the black mist to nothingness. The dispersing tendrils of mist were dissolved by the radiant light. Through the combined efforts of Ji Huaichu and He Guxia, the massive black mist entity was utterly annihilated in a mere two seconds.
Cracks appeared at the base of the fountain and statue. These fissures grew larger and larger until the entire fountain crumbled into dust and vanished. The black mist outside the besieged city, as if having lost its core, gradually thinned and dissolved. The derelict town also began to show cracks, one structure after another turning to powder. The tall, dark clock tower at the outermost edge let out another long, resonant chime. Wherever the sound reached, all structures disappeared. The pitch-black, perpetual night curtain was torn open by an unseen sharp edge, allowing sunlight to spill through the gash. This triggered a cascade of light patterns that progressively devoured the entire night sky—
[Game Scenario Cleared: Fear Fortress. Calculating Grade—]
[Grade: A (Don't you have way too many people?!)]
[Passive Triggered! Points Gained: 1250]
[Drawing Formal Player Clear Reward Item—]
[Congratulations, Player. Item Acquired: Glowing Marble]
[Glowing Marble]: An ordinary marble that glows. Seems to have fallen from the sky.
[Special Marker Detected!]
[Beep! Player must undergo next game within seven days! (Or be forced into a game after 168 hours)]
[Return to Nirvana Space?]
No.
The game was over.
The cleared Black Mirror vortex now resembled an empty lot. The edges were indistinct, like chaos. Sunlight streamed down from the sky above, and the ground beneath their feet felt solid yet insubstantial, as if they were standing on clouds, though the texture wasn't quite right.
"So… it's over?" Ye Jingmeng sounded almost reluctant. Wasn't that too fast? They seized an opportunity and just wiped out the BOSS? Shouldn't it have been an epic, back-and-forth battle lasting hundreds of rounds?
"Having more players in a Black Mirror vortex actually lowers the rewards… What kind of logic is that?" Zhao Guogu muttered discontentedly. Besides, did they really have that many people? It was just… just over a dozen!
"Does the Black Mirror vortex disappear after being cleared?" Qing Tian asked curiously. She crouched down, feeling the ground. As the environment brightened and sunlight bathed her, her mood seemed to lift considerably. Perhaps due to photosynthesis? Who knew.
"That's how it is," Mu Anqi said. "Well, I guess this trip concludes here? …It's my first time organizing one, so I lack experience. Next time, maybe we should host it in a Shattered Mirror game. Ah, perhaps we could create a leisure travel map…" As she spoke, Mu Anqi seemed to stumble upon a new business opportunity. She thought of her own game's simple village, perfect mountain scenery, honest villagers, and helpful Rumors. It suddenly struck her that her game could totally develop a second mode, striving to make every ghost and monster player who paid a premium to come feel right at home!
"Regarding that, Miss White and Mr. Black's game is like that," Jiang Yuexia said. "They also have a 'life experience' mode open to Demon Kings. After all, the surface world of that map is quite beautiful, and the NPCs are very vivid. But you can only access it through their illusion realm, so strictly speaking, it's not a real experience, is it?"
Fang Xunjiu: "Full immersion VR game?"
"Those two are that impressive? Bro, next time let's go to a Shattered Mirror game. I really want to try it too!" Fang Yinju grew excited, extremely curious about what Jiang Yuexia described.
Mu Anqi hesitated, on the verge of saying something, but the Nirvana Space reminded her not to disclose game details to players who hadn't completed the scenario. She could only change the subject. "No need to rush; we still have seven days of vacation. Everyone can relax properly and have fun exploring."
"You can also come to my bookstore to read," Bai Yulai offered. "You can pay to pet the little foxes."
"If you need Guansi, you can come help at my roast chicken shop," Jiang Yuexia added after a moment's thought. "Daily wage is 300 Guansi." Most of the monsters from the Mingdu had their own lives and ran various businesses.
The Green Vine demon sisters looked at each other. The two unemployed individuals looked up at the sky and didn't contribute to the conversation.
"Taiyin General's Fortress offers free game experiences."
He Guxia was speechless. Seeing everyone look at her, it took her a long moment to say, "…Don't come looking for me. I'll be in seclusion until the Eve of the Blissful Banquet."
After brief farewells, everyone parted ways and left the Black Mirror vortex. Qing Tian stood up. A tender green, tiny four-leaf clover on the blank ground swayed gently, basking in the sunlight. Qing Tian touched its leaf, then followed Zhao Guogu as they departed.
…
On the deck, Wan Jin had been waiting for some time.
"I hope this trip met your expectations? Please, tell me about the actual situation within the Black Mirror vortex." Wan Jin bowed slightly and said with a light smile.
The ship turned around, gradually beginning its return journey.
As soon as the ship docked, uniformly dressed ghosts and monsters lined up in two rows, creating a pathway. Wan Jin made a "please" gesture and said softly, "The Madam has prepared a meal. If you have no objections, please eat before you leave."