Zhu Lingxi immediately withdrew her gaze.
“Okay.”
Cen Yao circled behind Pei Tinglan and grabbed the handles of his wheelchair.
“Tour Guide Pei, quick, show us the way.”
Pei Tinglan looked back at her.
“You're really treating me like a GPS?”
“What else are we supposed to do? You're the only one who knows the way.”
“That still doesn't mean you can just push me around whenever you want.”
“Desperate times call for desperate measures!”
Cen Yao pushed the wheelchair to the side, her tone perfectly casual.
“Hurry up. I really don't want to get roasted by the Ashen Feather Court's fire the moment I get out of a dungeon.”
Pei Tinglan's expression wasn't great, but he still pursed his lips awkwardly and pointed them in the right direction.
The three of them had only taken two steps.
When a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.
A black uniform with a silver badge, and a posture so straight it was almost rigid.
Cen Yao paused in her tracks.
It was the Second Leader of the Hanging Mirror Directorate—Judge.
Pei Tinglan had mentioned earlier that he was fifth on the Peak Leaderboard.
Fifth.
That ranking alone spoke volumes.
Anyone who could rank in the top five out of countless players worldwide was definitely more than just exceptionally talented.
His dungeon experience, combat prowess, judgment, and even the items and network he had accumulated must have reached a terrifying level.
Judge stood before them.
He didn't show any hostility, nor did he block their path too aggressively.
Yet simply by standing there, he made Cen Yao instinctively stop.
Zhu Lingxi quieted down as well.
Her hand remained near her Nuo mask, but her gaze was even more cautious than when she had faced Eclipse and Luan.
This wasn't because Judge was more terrifying than those two.
But because he seemed too steady, appearing utterly unfathomable.
Like a mountain submerged beneath the water, its true depth impossible to gauge.
“Miss Witch.”
Before Judge could speak, the woman holding the ledger beside him offered Cen Yao a slight smile.
“Please don't be in such a hurry to leave.”
She took half a step forward, maintaining her gentle and polite demeanor.
But Cen Yao noticed that the ledger in her arms had been opened at some point.
The pages were filled with dense writing, and right at the top were a few names that had just appeared, the ink still wet.
Cen Yao.
Zhu Lingxi.
Pei Tinglan.
Cen Yao: “...”
She instinctively took half a step back.
She really is keeping a record. Pei Tinglan was absolutely right.
“Let me introduce myself.”
The woman acted as if she hadn't seen Cen Yao's subtle movement, her tone remaining polite throughout.
“I am the Fourth Leader of the Hanging Mirror Directorate, codenamed Guanwei.”
“On behalf of the Hanging Mirror Directorate, I sincerely invite you to join us.”
When she used the formal address, her attitude was neither submissive nor overbearing.
She didn't put on the airs of an official organization, nor was she overly enthusiastic.
It was as if she had come prepared with a mature proposal for collaboration.
“The Hanging Mirror Directorate is an official organization of the Global Alliance, with members from various countries and regions.”
“However, since you are a Chinese player, and both Judge and I belong to the China branch, if you join us, we can provide you with identity confidentiality, real-world protection, intelligence sharing, emergency rescue, and various other privileges.”
She paused.
“As for dungeons, the Hanging Mirror Directorate provides members with a fixed monthly points allowance.”
“During your rookie phase, we will also arrange experienced players to guide you through runs, helping you familiarize yourself with different dungeon types and game rules.”
“Additionally, if you are looking for someone, investigating a matter, or encounter any unusual trouble outside of dungeons, the Hanging Mirror Directorate can provide the corresponding support.”
Guanwei looked at Cen Yao.
“Your abilities are very unique.”
“We don't want you to be targeted by those with ulterior motives before you've had the chance to grow.”
Her words sounded perfectly reasonable.
Yet Cen Yao didn't reply immediately.
She knew Guanwei wasn't lying.
As an official organization, the resources, protection, and channels the Hanging Mirror Directorate could offer were indeed things ordinary players could hardly dream of.
Especially real-world protection.
Ever since the Horror Game arrived, grudges formed in dungeons didn't always stay there.
Some would target other players' real-world identities for their items, points, Talents, or even out of pure jealousy.
Cen Yao's popularity was currently sky-high.
And she had no known background.
To outsiders, the Hanging Mirror Directorate would indeed seem like an excellent choice.
But just as she fell silent.
An undisguised sneer drifted over from the side.
“What's so good about joining your Hanging Mirror Directorate?”
A girl in a black dress strolled over.
Her skin was a pale, cold white, her long black dress swaying gently with each step, and a thin silver thread was wound around her fingertips.
The thread slithered around her fingers like a living thing.
It was the Fourth Leader of the Eclipse Corridor—Shadowweaver.
She didn't even look at Judge or Guanwei, walking straight up to Cen Yao.
“You're restricted at every turn. You can't do this, you can't do that.”
“You have to write action reports just to enter a dungeon, and have your mental state evaluated when you get out. If you want to use a high-risk item, you have to apply; if you want to kill someone who deserves to die, you have to file a report.”
Shadowweaver curled her lips into a smile.
“What a boring way to live.”
Guanwei closed her ledger, her expression unchanged.
“The rules of the Hanging Mirror Directorate are there to ensure the safety of our members and ordinary people.”
Shadowweaver gave a nonchalant, “Oh?”
“Isn't that just being controlled?”
“Your safety is built on rules.”
“But we at the Eclipse Corridor are different.”
She focused her entire gaze on Cen Yao.
In those pitch-black eyes was an undisguised interest.
There was even an almost naked determination to claim her.
Cen Yao felt rather uncomfortable under her gaze and quietly took another half step back.
Yet Shadowweaver acted as though she hadn't noticed.
She leaned down slightly, lowering her voice to an almost mesmerizing softness.
“Miss Cen Yao.”
“Come to the Eclipse Corridor.”
“With us, you can do whatever you want, without any restrictions.”
“If you want to study arrays, we can find the most dangerous supernatural dungeons for you. If you want to kill monsters, we can deliver the most troublesome bosses right to you. If you want to save people, cats, or anything else, no one will ever stand up and ask if it's worth it.”
“As long as you want to.”
“We will back you all the way.”
As she spoke, her smile deepened.
“Not only that, you'll get a massive amount of points every month.”
“At least one B-rank item.”
“If you perform well enough, even A-rank items are negotiable.”
Cen Yao: “...”
The terms she offered were certainly straightforward.
She could even feel Shadowweaver's interest in her arrays.
It wasn't appreciation in the ordinary sense.
It was more like a researcher suddenly laying eyes on an extremely rare and fascinating new subject.
Cen Yao didn't particularly like that kind of look, no matter how beautiful Shadowweaver's smile was.
She instinctively squeezed Zhu Lingxi's hand.
Zhu Lingxi noticed her movement and gently squeezed back.
Then, Zhu Lingxi looked up and met Shadowweaver's eyes.
“Miss Shadowweaver.”
“Thank you for your invitation, but I do not agree with your words.”
Rate on N.U.
