As for the method Bai Yin mentioned to break the mirror maze, neither Chen Mo nor Li Yan held much hope for it. If this mirror maze could be solved so easily, then this supernatural world wouldn't be considered terrifying. Though not optimistic, without better leads, Chen Mo decided to try Bai Yin's method first. He raised his right hand, bit his finger, and smeared blood onto one of the mirrors.
This method of breaking the maze required a reference point to determine whether he had walked a repeated path. Since Chen Mo had no marker or similar tool at hand, he had to resort to this approach. Then, using the mirror on his right as a guide, he moved forward.
But he didn't notice that after walking some distance, the blood smeared on the smooth mirror surface seemed to be absorbed, gradually fading until it completely disappeared. Not only that, in another corridor of the maze, a girl's hair clip used as a reference point vanished at almost the same time, as if wiped away by an invisible hand.
Rustle, rustle, rustle. In the silent mirror maze, only the sound of his own footsteps could be heard. The dim light, reflected endlessly by the mirrors, cast countless human shadows like layers of ghostly figures, creating an eerie sense of oppression.
Bai Yin, who had been cautiously moving through the maze, suddenly stopped. Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap—from deep within the maze, footsteps seemed to sound. Who was it? The sudden footsteps in the silent maze made Bai Yin's breath quicken. Though she knew there should be three other participants in the maze, who could guarantee that the footsteps she heard now were human?
Just as Bai Yin held her breath, planning to wait for the footsteps to move away before continuing, something even more unsettling happened. As if the sound of her own movement had been detected, the footsteps, which had seemed some distance away, paused for a few seconds, then quickened their pace, rapidly approaching her position. In the silent maze, the clear footsteps seemed amplified, echoing from all directions. Bai Yin's heart tightened. Forgetting about hiding her presence, she turned and ran toward another passage.
But what she never expected was that as she just rounded a corner, a dark figure flashed before her. Caught off guard, they collided directly. Thud! "Ah!" With the impact, both fell to the ground. Bai Yin quickly and agilely jumped to her feet. Just as she was about to bolt, what came into view was a face equally panicked and flustered. Fatty?! That panicked face—who else could it be but Fatty? Sweat drenched his forehead, showing he had been just as terrified.
"It's... it's you..." Recognizing the short-haired girl, Fatty's horrified expression immediately relaxed. He tried to scramble to his feet, but his weak legs wouldn't cooperate. "Oh, it's you! Why were you running so fast? I thought..." Thinking about how this damn Fatty had scared her into a panic, Bai Yin felt a surge of anger mixed with disappointment. Compared to this useless Fatty, she would have preferred running into Chen Mo or Li Yan. Li Yan went without saying—he had four story experiences under his belt. Chen Mo, though a newcomer, had already shown observation and analytical skills above the average newcomer. Either one would likely improve her chances of survival.
Compared to Bai Yin's grim expression, Fatty looked much more relaxed. For him, encountering another participant in this eerie maze was a godsend. At least with two people to bolster each other's courage, it was better than fumbling alone among endless mirrors. Thinking this, Fatty didn't mind the short-haired girl's sour face. He wiped his sweat and turned his head to scan the layered mirrors around them. "What should we do now?" "Do you have any clues to solve the maze?" Bai Yin asked impatiently. "Well..." "Forget it, I knew you wouldn't. Just follow me. Keep an eye on the mirrors around us. If anything unusual happens, tell me immediately!" "Okay, okay... no problem!" Fatty replied sheepishly. Bai Yin said no more and continued forward.
Fifteen minutes later, both their expressions turned grim again. From the outside, the mirror maze didn't seem large, but they had been circling inside for over half an hour. This was clearly abnormal. "It seems we can't break the maze without finding its key," Bai Yin finally said, stopping ahead. In front of her, directly facing the passage, stood a mirror taller than a person, now reflecting the image of a short-haired girl. Another dead end? Bai Yin stopped before the mirror, studying her reflection. In the dim light, her reflection looked pale, more like a ghost standing in the darkness than a person.
Suddenly, as if sensing something wrong, Bai Yin's brow furrowed slightly. She moved closer to the mirror to get a better look. There was something... In the mirror, a patch of white clothing was projected behind her... What was that? A ghost hidden in the mirror maze? Bai Yin's heart began to pound violently. Did the ghost lurking in the maze know she had spotted it? And should she tell Fatty... Better not tell that damn Fatty. Who knew what he might do? If he startled the hidden ghost and it attacked them... Not daring to turn around, Bai Yin involuntarily took another step toward the mirror, trying to see the ghost's true form through it. Perhaps because she was too focused, she failed to notice something she should have: the reflection in the mirror, which should have mimicked her every move, didn't move at all. Not only that, but its face twisted into a sinister expression.
In an instant, a pale ghostly hand shot out from the smooth mirror surface in front of Bai Yin, pulling the short-haired girl into the mirror! Ripples spread across the mirror's surface, blurring everything. When the ripples settled, the space before the mirror was empty—no sign of the short-haired girl.
"Bai Yin? Bai..." When Fatty snapped out of his shock, all that remained before him was an empty corridor. At its end, the mirror stood still and calm, quietly reflecting a fat man's figure. He waved at the mirror, and the Fatty in the mirror waved back. Everything seemed normal, but... where was she? Where had the short-haired girl, who had been walking ahead of him, gone?
"Hehehe, hehehe!" A little girl's laughter suddenly rang out behind him. Fatty shuddered, whipping his head around. A flash of white clothing passed across the mirror. He looked back at the deep, smooth mirror at the end of the corridor. Deep fear spread across his face. His teeth chattered, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably. Then he let out a terrified scream. "Ahhhhh—!" Screaming, he turned and ran! Behind him, the other Fatty in the mirror remained motionless. Not only that, but his face also showed a hint of malice. However, that Fatty in the mirror didn't step out like before. Instead, he watched Fatty flee in panic, then, with a ripple, vanished into the mirror.