Chapter 246 How Can We Stay Stagnant

Chapter 246: How Can One Stagnate

"Take that item and find the only 'mirror' in the apartment."

Since the "Administrator" emphasized that this message was exclusively for Su Bai, he didn't press for details. Su Bai knew the "Administrator" possessed far more information than he did. While their methods could be eccentric, they were generally reliable within the red moon's nightmare world.

Crucially, Su Bai recalled Xiao Wu mentioning that the "Administrator" harbored no ill will towards him. Due to physical limitations, the Administrator sometimes genuinely needed help. Furthermore, for undisclosed reasons, this Administrator, who typically behaved differently, couldn't seek assistance from ordinary players. Instead, they approached Su Bai, who was nominally bound by a marriage contract to a certain Lord Ghost Witch.

Another point that piqued Su Bai's interest was the Administrator's statement: "An old acquaintance left a message and an item in the Void Sea." This sentence, beyond the item Su Bai was to deliver to the mirror world, also mentioned the Void Sea.

It was only after his experience at the Luolimasi Grand Hotel that Su Bai learned of the Void Sea's existence from Luolimasi, a non-human entity. Including his previous life, Su Bai had struggled in the nightmare world for over a decade. Yet, it wasn't until this current life that he discovered the rift between the real and nightmare worlds—that extremely dark, interstitial space referred to by both Luolimasi and the Administrator as the Void Sea.

All players must traverse the Void Sea before entering the nightmare world from the real world. In his previous life, Su Bai had never realized this, as he had never returned to the unlamented real world since first entering the nightmare realm.

At the beginning of this life, Su Bai's entry into the nightmare world was always instantaneous.

However, once Su Bai became aware of the "Void Sea's" concept and existence, things began to change. The most notable shift was that each time he entered the nightmare world, he would linger in the Void Sea rift, sometimes even plunging into terrifying "hallucinations" and "dreams."

At times, Su Bai even felt that the hallucinations and dreams he experienced in the Void Sea were actual events, yet he retained no memory of those scenes.

The only thing Su Bai could confirm was that, beyond its extreme darkness, the Void Sea contained many things he couldn't perceive. For instance, the Administrator could receive Luolimasi's weeping from the Void Sea, and even messages—or perhaps even *items*—left by an old acquaintance.

Though everything remained shrouded in mystery, Su Bai sensed that in this life, he was steadily approaching the truth of the nightmare world, and even that of the red moon itself.

"Since it's a commission, I will naturally provide compensation, as I did last time," the Administrator's voice continued. "In fact, that space itself is beneficial and harmless to you; its environment will aid your current physical condition."

"Moreover, entering that space with that terrifying object on your left hand will bring you additional gains."

A terrifying object on his left hand?

Su Bai instinctively glanced at his left wrist. Besides the black peace bracelet formed by the joyful black kitten and other cat spirits, there was only the string of beads Xiao Wu had given him to absorb the power of eerie entities. Ever since Xiao Wu unsealed the bracelet, allowing it to autonomously absorb the red moon's power, Su Bai, preoccupied with its side effects, hadn't paid much attention to its activity.

Or was the Administrator referring to the brand on his left palm? The mark signifying his identity and abilities as the owner of the Mist Shop?

Did his left hand truly possess something that even the Administrator considered terrifying?

The reward offered by the Administrator, as before, seemed suspiciously like a freebie. Last time, after accepting the commission to go to the Luolimasi Grand Hotel, the compensation was merely an empty promise of "doing as you please within the game scene," costing the Administrator nothing.

Previously, Su Bai agreed to the commission because he had no choice; the Administrator would have used their authority to send him to the Luolimasi Grand Hotel regardless, so accepting the commission was better than nothing.

But this time, Su Bai had the option to choose whether to enter the mirror world, making such a reward seem rather meager.

"You are undoubtedly dissatisfied with such compensation," the Administrator showed some self-awareness. "However, my circumstances are peculiar, and the only reward I can offer is information related to this world. Therefore, as an additional reward, you may ask me one question after this game concludes."

"While some questions may be difficult for me to answer, I guarantee that among the questions you pose, I will answer one of them."

Oh?

Su Bai found this somewhat intriguing. After all, after completing the Luolimasi Grand Hotel commission, he had tried asking the Administrator questions but ultimately gained little useful information.

However, as a shop owner and a nascent merchant, Su Bai's right hand, resting on the sofa, subtly raised two fingers.

"Very well, I will answer two of your questions."

The Administrator agreed with astonishing speed, so fast that Su Bai felt he had undersold himself.

Yet, Su Bai had merely made a small test; he hadn't expected the eccentric Administrator to actually see his two raised fingers—a detail even Sang Sang and the others standing opposite him would likely miss.

This implied that at least one pair of eyes—perhaps even more—had been observing this "script" unfolding in the Mirror Apartment all along. Perhaps, as Su Bai suspected, all selected players were actors required for the script, and perhaps everything they had been doing was merely entertainment for unknown, overseeing entities in their leisure time.

"Rest assured, if you truly encounter danger, I will promptly seek help from that Lord Ghost Witch," the Administrator's tone was more urgent than before. The significance of the old acquaintance who left a message in the Void Sea was clearly deeper to them than Luolimasi in the hotel. "Though, for that Lord, it's probably unnecessary."

"That item will appear when you cross the rift."

As if fearing Su Bai might change his mind again, the Administrator fell silent after speaking. Su Bai's attention returned to the reception room, where he heard Yue Zhengqing's frantic confession.

Su Bai was clear about his own advantages. Having decided to enter the mirror world, he would no longer obstruct Yue Zhengqing's malice. Even though he had initially considered Yue Zhengqing simple-minded, his current incoherent and irrational state was likely not his true intention, but rather influenced by the surrounding ghosts and that malevolent force.

So, Su Bai conveyed his intention to enter the mirror world to the hesitant Feng Ling, who then abandoned Yue Zhengqing, still rambling incessantly.

"Hehe, hehe—"

The bloodthread ghosts sitting nearby began to emit eerie laughter; clearly, everything was proceeding according to their plan.

Once the passage opened, not only would Su Bai and the others want to enter the mirror world, but the ghosts from within would also seek to escape. However, the passage might only remain stable for a mere dozen seconds.

Under such circumstances, both the bloodthread ghosts seated there and the ghost possessing Qin Yuxuan should have tried to prevent Su Bai and his companions from approaching the passage. Yet, the two ghosts in the reception room seemed unconcerned.

It appeared that for these ghosts, escaping the mirror world by possessing human bodies was already the best possible outcome. They had protected Yue Zhengqing as planned and used him to open the passage. Whether other ghosts from the mirror world could escape afterward was likely irrelevant to them.

Eerie entities like the Jigsaw pieces, capable of forming emotions and trust, remained exceedingly rare in the nightmare world.

"The passage is about to open."