Mo Bai pulled Gu Tiandong aside, deliberately avoiding Ye Pingjun, and whispered, "Starting today, you need to be careful…"

She wanted to say, Be careful of the high-level players in the Combat Group. They'll harm the high-level players in the Observation Group.

But when the words reached her lips, she simply couldn't say them. It felt as if something was lodged in her throat, and she couldn't utter a sound.

Mo Bai knew that she was being restricted by the rules.

Just like Mo Xiangyou had been utterly unable to tell her about this before, Mo Bai also had no way to inform the still-unaware Gu Tiandong.

Mo Bai's Rule Optimization ability could only optimize rules that the main system considered buggy. It couldn't alter established, widely recognized rules like this one.

Fortunately, what Mo Bai wanted was precisely this inability to speak.

If she couldn't say it, that meant Gu Tiandong still wasn't a true high-level player. He only just touched the threshold.

Like her, he could use a small portion of abilities beyond the intermediate level, but couldn't fully wield high-level powers.

Becoming a high-level player wasn't easy. Just like advancing to intermediate, it required three days of deep sleep for the body to fully accept the new power. Neither of them would level up inside this instance.

"Be careful of what?" Gu Tiandong asked, puzzled.

"Be careful about your mental state," Mo Bai amended. "The Disease Town instance likely involves mental-type attacks. You must stay alert."

"You didn't have to avoid Ye Pingjun to say that," Gu Tiandong replied, glancing at Ye Pingjun standing nearby before lowering his voice. "Are you suspecting Ye Pingjun might also be someone from the mirror?"

Gu Tiandong had conveniently provided her with an excuse, so Mo Bai followed his lead. "Ah… yes."

"If you feel embarrassed saying it, I'll handle it," Gu Tiandong volunteered, striding toward Ye Pingjun.

Ye Pingjun had already stepped away when Mo Bai and Gu Tiandong huddled together, whispering. He didn't know what Mo Bai wanted to say, but he trusted that she had her reasons. Perhaps it involved Gu Tiandong's privacy.

He had already formed some suspicions about the changes in Gu Tiandong's body. It wasn't something suitable for public discussion, so Mo Bai speaking to him privately about Observation Group matters made sense.

To his surprise, after a short talk, Gu Tiandong approached him and said, "Pingjun, how about we take a look at your room as well?"

Ye Pingjun was slightly taken aback. Does Mo Bai still suspect me? Didn't she already confirm I was fine?

But on second thought, he decided that caution wouldn't hurt. It wouldn't be a bad idea to check his Heart-Mirror Room again.

So he walked in openly, with Mo Bai and Gu Tiandong following close behind.

The mirror in Ye Pingjun's room was an ordinary one. It clearly reflected the figures of all three of them.

Mo Bai briefly explained to Gu Tiandong how Ye Pingjun had overcome the Heart-Mirror Room through his own strength.

"Defeating yourself is the hardest thing of all. That's amazing!" Gu Tiandong praised.

Ye Pingjun remained calm and even joked, "Should we smash this room too? Keep up our fine tradition of wrecking instances."

"Sure. I'll test my new ability," Mo Bai said.

When she had fused with the black-clad Mo Bai, she had faintly sensed the first method of using Environmental Assimilation: Resonance (共鳴 - Gòngmíng).

She held a shard of mirror from her own room in her left hand and pressed her right hand against the mirror in Ye Pingjun's room.

The first form of assimilation: assimilating a large environment with a smaller object of the same type.

Countless transparent threads extended from Mo Bai's body once again. This time, Ye Pingjun felt they looked less like threads and more like countless translucent tentacles.

The tentacles clung densely to the mirrors in the room, while their other ends connected to the shard in Mo Bai's hand. After fully linking the two, they sank into the mirrors and vanished.

Mo Bai opened her eyes and released her left hand, letting the shard fall to the ground.

As the shard shattered into countless fragments, the four mirrors in Ye Pingjun's room simultaneously split with countless cracks, just like the shard, and collapsed to the floor.

"This ability… is ridiculously strong!" Ye Pingjun exclaimed.

Back at the Count's Castle, if Mo Bai possessed this power, she wouldn't have needed to chug nutrient potions just to barely destroy a few bricks. She could have simply removed one brick from the castle wall, assimilated the castle with that brick, and easily reduced the entire structure to rubble.

"What's the range of your ability?" Gu Tiandong asked, astonished.

Since Mo Bai had advanced beyond her level on her own and hadn't received any system explanation, she could only estimate the range herself.

"For now, I can probably assimilate environments within a ten-meter radius," she said. "Once I become a true high-level player, the range should expand."

Gu Tiandong sighed. "Are all high-level players this powerful?"

"I don't think so," Ye Pingjun said. "Abilities are like talents. Everyone's upper limit is different. Some abilities, even at a high level, are only as strong as those of a powerful intermediate player. While others can challenge high-level players while still at an intermediate level."

Mo Bai sensed her physical condition and shook her head. "I'm not this strong because my ability has reached a high level. I'm just drawing on a portion of power that doesn't belong to me."

Not only could she use abilities beyond her level, but the energy inside her seemed limitless. Even after consecutively using Environmental Rejection and Environmental Assimilation, her reserves were still abundant.

"What power?" Gu Tiandong asked.

Ye Pingjun, however, said worriedly, "If you keep using that power… won't you become less and less… human?"

He remembered the black-clad Mo Bai he had seen in the mirror. The posture. The gaze. As though everything in existence were mere ants in her eyes.

He did not doubt that if that version of Mo Bai appeared, even if she didn't harm her companions, her mere presence would be enough to hurt them.

Mo Bai might not be able to control that power.

"I'll try to use it as little as possible," Mo Bai promised.

This instance was fraught with danger. Just the Smiling Circus alone had nearly cost the four of them half their souls. Who knew what the Disease Town, capable of devouring the Smiling Circus, would be like?

"According to the time conversion between the Heart-Mirror Rooms and the outside world, there are five minutes left until ten o'clock," Xiao Qi reminded Mo Bai.

As a diligent, free smart assistant, Xiao Qi was faithfully keeping track of time for her.

There was still Ding Xun left.

They had already captured the fake Ding Xun, so helping the real one reunite with her mirror self wouldn't be difficult.

As long as they found the real Ding Xun and used the Blessing of the Puppets card in Gu Tiandong's hand, they could rescue her.

As for the card debt, it would simply transfer from between Gu Tiandong and Ye Pingjun to between Ding Xun and Ye Pingjun. Ding Xun could just return her own card to Ye Pingjun.

The three of them quickly headed to the final room.

As soon as they entered, they saw a monster lying on the ground, its body half-rotted. This appeared to be Ding Xun's gatekeeper.

After escaping from the mirror, the fake Ding Xun didn't join forces with the magician. Instead, she also chose to kill the gatekeeper, trying to blend into the team.

The mirror still reflected nothing.

Mo Bai tried calling out. "Ding Xun?"

There was no response.

It seemed that Ding Xun's condition was worse than Gu Tiandong's. Trapped inside the mirror, she didn't even have autonomous ability.

The one who had tugged at Mo Bai's clothes earlier wasn't the 1.8-meter-tall Gu Tiandong, but the 1.7-meter-tall mirror version. Only those inside the mirror had control over the mirror world.

It seemed they could only rely on the mirror Ding Xun that Ye Pingjun had captured.

Mo Bai signaled for Ye Pingjun to release her, while Gu Tiandong took up position at the door.

As long as Gu Tiandong sealed the door with his ability, even Phantom Butterfly wouldn't be able to escape.

Only after confirming the exit was secured did Ye Pingjun feel at ease enough to open the Black Tent.

A full-length mirror rolled out from inside. The moment it was exposed to light, it transformed into Ding Xun.

She stood up and looked at Mo Bai with tearful grievance. "Mo Bai, you didn't trust me… wuwuwuwu."

Then she threw herself into Mo Bai's arms and burst into loud sobs.

The Ding Xun Mo Bai knew had never shown such weakness.

Ding Xun was always optimistic, carefree, and bright. Her style was practically "Even if my head falls off, it's just a bowl-sized scar."* She never complained nor cried.

And yet now she clung to Mo Bai's shoulder like a little girl, sobbing as if extremely wronged.

Mo Bai was fully prepared to fight the mirror Ding Xun, so she hadn't expected to face someone so aggrieved instead.

Everyone has moments of weakness. Sometimes, the louder a person proclaims something, the more they fear the opposite in their heart.

Mo Bai had already confronted her own dark side. She understood this.

She often declared herself strong, fearless, and resolute, yet inside, she harbored countless fears and vulnerabilities.

When something is lacking deep within, one shouts it aloud, relying on words to lend strength to the heart.

Perhaps Ding Xun was the same.

Mo Bai raised a hand and gently stroked the high ponytail sticking up behind the mirror Ding Xun's head. Softly, she said, "I'm sorry I came late. I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I'm sorry. I should have known that my friend, even her flaws, is beautiful."

Three consecutive apologies, taking all the blame upon herself.

Mirror Ding Xun cried even harder.

"No, it's my fault," she choked out. "I'm careless. When I teamed up with others before, I always messed things up because of it. I tried to learn their caution, but I never could. And I act on impulse too easily. People always found me annoying. Only you didn't. You always praised me. You said I was strong!"

Her words brought Mo Bai back to the first time she met Ding Xun.

Back then, Ding Xun had been so impulsive. After learning she could kill the maids from inside the door, she struck one down without thinking of the consequences, resulting in eleven maids gathering outside her door.

At the time, Mo Bai had privately admired her boldness. She hadn't realized Ding Xun had been afraid too, and actually regretted her rashness.

Killing one and ending up with eleven in return. That scene was indeed terrifying.

But later, precisely because Ding Xun drew all the maids' attention, the others were able to split them up and eliminate both the maids and the butler in one go.

Back then, Mo Bai truly said to Ding Xun many times, "We couldn't have done it without you."

Mo Bai spoke gently. "I was the lucky one. Back then, I was alone and helpless. My ability was weak, and I couldn't even walk. Phantom Butterfly was also hunting me. If danger came, I couldn't even run.

Luckily, I met you. You were willing to approach me, to push me around, and to lend me the Prying Lenses so I could familiarize myself with the castle.

Luckily, I met you. You were so strong then, wielding a greatsword and cutting through B-rank monsters, leaving none standing.

Luckily, I met you. You were so sincere and warm, willing to trust a weak player like me and let me make all the arrangements.

I'm not powerful. I was just fortunate enough that in my hardest moment, I met teammates as kind and outstanding as you."

Mo Bai's sincere and gentle words soothed the mirror Ding Xun. She lifted her head and glanced back at the mirror.

Ding Xun's original body appeared within it.

The original Ding Xun was smiling, though her face was streaked with tears.

She had heard everything Mo Bai said.

Holding the mirror Ding Xun's hand, Mo Bai walked to the mirror. She pressed her other hand against the glass. Inside, the original Ding Xun raised her hand as well, placing it against Mo Bai's through the mirror.

"I like both of you," Mo Bai said. "Do you really have to stay split?"

"It's not that we have to," the original Ding Xun replied. "We just can't merge for now. I can't help it. I hate her."

She hated the version of herself who was careless, impulsive, soft-hearted, and afraid.

"As long as you still want to be together, that's enough. We can give you a push," Mo Bai said.

"Actually… after hearing what you just said, I don't hate myself that much anymore," the original Ding Xun admitted. "If I weren't impulsive, if I were cautious and careful, I probably never would have become your teammate."

"Becoming my teammate isn't exactly a good thing," Mo Bai sighed. "We're only intermediate and already tackling an S-rank instance."

"That's not it," both Ding Xuns said at the same time. "I'm willing to clear instances with you. Call me crazy, but I like this feeling. Having someone to rely on in the face of despair."

"Then let's go together," Mo Bai said, turning to Gu Tiandong.

Gu Tiandong took out Blessing of the Puppets.

The four of them had met at the Count's Castle, and now they were using a card obtained there to save one another.

Every encounter has meaning.

Under the golden threads of the puppets, the two Ding Xuns fused into one. When only a single Ding Xun remained in the room, the mirror shattered as well.

As expected, Mo Bai heard the system notification.

 

[ Congratulations to player Mo Bai for destroying another domain, obtaining the scene card Ruins of the Heart-Mirror Room. ]

 

[ Note: You already meet the conditions to use scene cards, but the system still sincerely advises you to never use a scene card. ]