The downpour seemed endless. Inside an abandoned villa nestled in the mountains, flickering firelight mingled with the scent of roasting meat.
"You said you'd already solved the riddle!?"
As soon as Bai Zhi said that, not only Beard Guy, but also Temperance Gentleheart and Night Owl unconsciously turned their gazes toward him.
"That's right. I've already solved the riddle."
Bai Zhi put the Brush in his hand back into the seasoning jar and raised his head.
"Actually, from the very beginning, I'd been thinking about a question: what exactly was the purpose of the Novice Quest? Was it just a meaningless adventure, or was it some kind of test for Player Qualification?"
"A test?"
Temperance Gentleheart paused slightly.
"That's right. Don't you think you learned quite a few lessons during this Novice Quest?"
Bai Zhi glanced at her with an expression of utter disdain.
"Night Owl may be timid, but she's useless. She may not have helped at all, but she's stupid. She may have been too scared to face reality and kept deceiving herself, but she's obedient. Unlike you—just look at the state you're in now..."
"Are you praising me...?"
Night Owl's mouth twitched violently.
"Being attentive, serious, and not overlooking a single detail—those are the first part of the test, as well as the first pass needed to become an Official Player. But it seems you didn't accomplish any of them. Just looking calm on the surface is useless."
Bai Zhi directly ignored Night Owl's words.
"..."
Remembering the two times she had been attacked earlier, Temperance Gentleheart fell silent.
"What's the second part of the test?"
As he took off the wet outerwear clinging uncomfortably to his body, Beard Guy could not help but ask.
"It's simple too. Whether or not you can muster the courage to face it."
As he said this, Bai Zhi gave Night Owl an additional glance.
"Launch Players probably didn't have convenient conditions like being able to rent equipment, right? Yet they could still clear their Novice Quests, couldn't they?"
"So what exactly is the answer to that riddle?"
Beard Guy frowned slightly. He did not understand what Bai Zhi was trying to say, so he simply stopped dwelling on it and asked directly for the answer.
"You seemed to say before that the right hand might not be in the Villa, but if it isn't in the Villa, where else could it be?"
"Oh, that Sealed Right Hand should be in another world."
While eating the roasted meat, Bai Zhi answered casually.
"Let's make an assumption. If you hadn't rented that life-saving piece of equipment, then when Temperance Gentleheart was attacked at the very beginning, she should have vanished immediately... Note that I said vanished, not died. Otherwise, if there were a guaranteed-death trigger condition, this Novice Quest would be far too difficult for ordinary people like us."
"So I saved the wrong person back then?"
After hearing Bai Zhi's words, Beard Guy's expression turned rather ugly.
"Well, think whatever you want. But if you hadn't saved her then, she should have been dragged by that hand into this Villa's Mirror World."
Bai Zhi shrugged indifferently.
"The last missing Sealed Right Hand should be in that Mirror Space. Actually, we should have been able to infer the existence of the Mirror Space long ago. After all, those dragged into that space don't die. Instead, they play a game of Hide and Seek with the Vengeful Spirit hiding there while communicating with us on this side. Then both sides work together to find and burn all the corpse fragments to clear the quest... That should be the official plot of this entire scenario."
"But that's just your conjecture, isn't it?"
Beard Guy snorted coldly.
"Hmph. Merely the wisdom of mortals."
At some point, Bai Zhi had put on a pair of Glasses. He took an Apple from his Inventory, a cold smile on his face.
"There's still an hour and a half until dawn. Do you think we can last through that final hour and a half? As long as the odds of something are greater than fifty percent, it's worth gambling on."
"...Fine. Then what do you suggest we do next?"
Trying hard to calm himself, Beard Guy spoke.
"Because of your completely baseless deduction, we're supposed to take the initiative and risk entering that so-called Mirror World? You've seen Temperance Gentleheart's condition. What if it really is a guaranteed-death trigger?"
"That's why I asked whether you were willing to trust me."
Bai Zhi looked innocent as he ate his Apple.
"If you're willing to trust me, then give me your remaining two Subordinate Bodies. I'll enter the Mirror World and search for the final piece of the puzzle."
"Wait, are you insane!?"
Before the stunned Beard Guy could speak, Night Owl urgently spoke up.
"If your deduction is wrong, then you'll..."
"The essence of a Novice Quest is merely a test. Barring any unexpected circumstances, a test shouldn't be that difficult. Since I was the one who proposed this guess, I should naturally be the one to carry it out."
Bai Zhi stood up and looked at Beard Guy.
"I don't know what the situation inside the Mirror World is like, and we don't have much time left. That's why I need your remaining two Subordinate Bodies as insurance."
"..."
After a brief wordless silence, Beard Guy took a deep breath and stood up as well.
"Then I'll go in with you. One more person means one more safeguard—"
"That's impossible. You need to stay here and look after them. Someone also needs to hold things down outside."
Shaking his head, Bai Zhi directly interrupted him.
"As time passes, the Yin chill surrounding us has grown deeper and deeper. That means the Vengeful Spirit is gradually breaking free of its restraints. Temperance Gentleheart has basically lost the ability to move. If you come in with me, everyone outside will definitely die."
"..."
Night Owl opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but when her gaze touched the dark corners around them, she bit her lip and slowly lowered the hand she had been about to raise.
"But if you go alone... I understand."
Letting out a breath, Beard Guy took the remaining two Subordinate Bodies from his Inventory without hesitation and handed them to Bai Zhi.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Before you continue