Yu Deng lay against the magic mirror, his long black hair spilling loosely around him. His soft lips rested against the cool surface, and his warm breath brushed across it.
Magic Mirror: "!!!"
Was the Princess… kissing it?
The magic mirror's frame kept heating up, quickly becoming scalding hot. However, remembering the lesson it had learned a few days ago when it accidentally burned the little princess, it desperately tried to cool itself down as quickly as possible.
After Yu Deng had lain there for a little while, the mirror's surface had taken on his sweet, delicate scent and the warmth of his body.
"Magic mirror, does this count as fulfilling your requirement?" Yu Deng asked softly, his face turned to one side. "I've already made contact with you over a pretty large area!"
The magic mirror should be able to feel his presence now, right?
"That's enough. Oh, no, wait. There's still a little something missing."
The magic mirror felt as though it were floating on cloud nine. It stammered nervously as it made another request.
"Your Highness the Princess, could you touch the mirror's surface with your lips one more time?"
Yu Deng let out a soft, puzzled hum. After taking a couple of seconds to process the request, he slowly pressed his lips against the magic mirror again.
His lips parted slightly, and the tip of his pink tongue barely brushed across the surface, leaving behind a faint trace of moisture.
The magic mirror couldn't control itself and shook violently twice. Ripples spread across its surface.
The next moment, the image of the little princess disappeared from the mirror. In its place, the vague outline of a young man appeared.
The young man gazed at the Princess lying against the mirror. His handsome, youthful face flushed bright red. He adjusted his position as the mirror's surface rippled and swayed, then cautiously leaned forward and kissed Yu Deng on the lips.
Yu Deng raised his eyes in confusion.
"Huh? What's going on?"
How strange. Why had it felt as though someone had just licked his lips?
The magic mirror reassured him in a dreamy, distracted voice.
"Don't be afraid, little princess. There's no danger."
The young man who had appeared briefly was already gone. The mirror once again reflected the beautiful little princess, as though the touch just now had been nothing more than an illusion.
Yu Deng put the little mystery out of his mind.
"Magic mirror, I'm going to ask my questions now. For the first question… I want to know what exactly is going on with King Charles of Sturitt."
Since this concerned its actual job, the magic mirror became serious. Ripples spread across its surface, and a few seconds later, it recited an ambiguous description.
"In answer to Your Highness the Princess's question: King Charles is a messenger who spreads darkness. Darkness is hidden within everyone's heart and cannot be easily destroyed."
Yu Deng hurriedly memorized the magic mirror's clue.
After saying that sentence, the magic mirror seemed to say something else, too. However, Yu Deng strained his ears and listened carefully but couldn't hear a single sound.
"System? Is something wrong?" Yu Deng asked anxiously. "I can't hear the magic mirror anymore."
System 01 replied: [Host, the magic mirror revealed too many core clues. The instance has implemented a balancing measure and blocked the mirror's voice.]
Yu Deng felt a little disappointed.
"Oh… all right."
The magic mirror also realized that the little princess hadn't heard its answer, so it stopped speaking.
After thinking for a moment, it said, "Your Highness the Princess, please look at my surface."
Yu Deng adjusted his position, lying completely flat on his stomach and facing the mirror, with his arms folded beneath his chin.
"I'm looking."
After he spoke, the scene reflected in the mirror began to change. Fragmented, kaleidoscopic images flashed past, and Yu Deng saw the continent of Eralzea as it had been several years ago.
Everyone on this continent knew magic. Unfortunately, the current generation of the human kingdom had produced few magical geniuses. Even the king himself had only mediocre talent and was nowhere near as capable as the leaders of other kingdoms. The entire kingdom seemed to be on a gradual decline.
In the images, King Charles paced back and forth as he discussed with his ministers how to restore the kingdom's former glory. The ministers were not indignant or resentful. Instead, they were filled with fervor and eager to contribute their strength to the kingdom.
The scene changed.
Yu Deng saw wisps of black mist begin to emerge from everyone, while the black mist surrounding King Charles was particularly dense.
Yu Deng watched as the king allowed the dark mist to erode him. He began casting forbidden spells and ordered his personal guards to capture non-humans who had become separated from their companions, bringing them back to the kingdom.
Yu Deng also saw his two sick sisters being locked inside the stone tower, where they gradually transformed into inhuman forms.
As time passed, some members of the fantasy races began to notice something amiss. However, because of the forbidden spell, they were unable to expose the king's crimes.
The final image showed the king standing atop the castle, looking down over the city.
"Sturitt… must never decline. I absolutely cannot bear the shame of being remembered as the king who lost his kingdom."
The images flashed by so quickly that the entire sequence was shown in barely ten seconds. Yu Deng did his best to memorize everything, planning to discuss it with Song Shiyu later.
After the images ended, the magic mirror quickly added, "Charles possesses the authority of the king."
The king's… authority?
On the first day of the instance, the earl whom the king had banished had died on the spot. Had that also been an effect of the king's authority?
Yu Deng recorded the clue the magic mirror had given him, understanding only part of it.
"I see… Can I keep asking questions now? Magic mirror, I also want to know how to resolve the power that's affecting everyone."
The magic mirror fell silent for a moment before answering word by word.
"It cannot be dispelled. It cannot disappear. It will exist forever."
"Ah…"
Yu Deng was surprised by the answer. He felt as though he had reached a dead end. After freezing for a few seconds, he finally asked his last question.
"Mirror, mirror, I have one last question. What is the missing Dreamheart, and where exactly is it?"
Huh, that sounded like two questions…
Yu Deng secretly glanced at the magic mirror, feeling a little guilty as he planned to pretend he hadn't noticed.
Maybe, just maybe, the magic mirror hadn't realized that he had asked two questions. Then he could get even more information!
The all-knowing and all-powerful magic mirror was very indulgent toward the little princess and cooperatively pretended not to understand.
"The Heart of Eralzea can bring glory and happiness. It is the most extraordinary and purest of treasures. The Heart of Eralzea once disappeared, but it has long since been born again."
Yu Deng was thoroughly confused.
"…?"
Waaah, he didn't understand!
Perhaps because of the instance's balancing mechanism, the magic mirror's answers were all rather abstract. Although Yu Deng hadn't understood much, he was still satisfied. After all, he now had a specific direction to investigate!
"Thank you, magic mirror. You've helped me so, so much."
Yu Deng thanked it in a soft voice. Even after asking all three questions, he was still lying on top of the mirror, having warmed its once-cold surface with his body.
"Ahem. You're welcome. It is my honor to be of assistance to Your Highness the Princess."
Looking at the little princess through its reflective surface, the magic mirror couldn't help wanting to become even closer to him. It coaxed the somewhat slow-to-catch-on princess.
"Your Highness the Princess, your skirt is a little too thick and heavy. Please move it aside. Also, doesn't lying like this make you uncomfortable? You can spread your legs a little farther apart so that your skin won't be compressed."
"Spread them a little farther apart?"
Yu Deng's head was still spinning. Hearing the magic mirror's words, he obediently followed its instructions and slowly stretched out his legs.
Knock, knock.
Just as Yu Deng spread his thighs apart, with the soft flesh of his legs resting fully against the mirror, someone knocked on the heavy wooden door.
Song Shiyu's voice came from outside.
"Your Highness the Princess, are you all right? May I come in?"
Yu Deng turned his head and raised his voice slightly.
"I'm perfectly fine! Come in!"
The knight who had been standing guard outside quickly entered. At a glance, Song Shiyu saw the little princess lying on the mirror, his skirt haphazardly lifted, his fair, slender legs slightly spread apart, and his lower legs swaying gently.
It had only been a few minutes. Had the little princess already been tricked by something bad again?
Song Shiyu furrowed his brows. Without saying anything, he walked over and helped Yu Deng sit up, settling him beside the mirror.
Magic Mirror: "..."
Tsk. That annoying knight again.
Yu Deng, completely unaware of the silent hostility between them, asked Song Shiyu, "Did something happen?"
"No. However, I waited outside the door for seven minutes, Your Highness." Song Shiyu explained the reason behind his actions. "In an infinite-flow instance, I need to ensure my companions' safety."
[Ugh, if I hadn't watched Song's livestream, I would've believed him. This guy leaves even his own guild members to fend for themselves.]
[Just say you don't want your wife alone with another male! Though, does a mirror count as a male? (Massive misunderstanding.)]
[So why did Baby's livestream go black again just now? Don't tell me the magic mirror is a bad dog too!!]
[Baby's clothes are all rumpled… and his face looks a little red, too.]
Of course, Yu Deng had no idea that the magic mirror had tricked him again, nor did he know that his own knight simply wanted to stop him from being alone with the mirror. After thinking it over, he decided that Song Shiyu really was concerned about his safety, so he didn't ask any further questions.
Yu Deng turned his attention back to something more important. "Song Shiyu! I asked the magic mirror several questions. Come over here and listen!"
Song Shiyu paused for two seconds before reminding him, "Your Highness, core clues affect the final evaluation score. These are clues you obtained yourself."
Yu Deng tilted his head, not particularly concerned. "I know! But I need you to help me analyze them."
Song Shiyu's gaze grew even gentler. "As you command, Your Highness."
Yu Deng poked the magic mirror's frame as he recalled the clues he had just obtained, recounting them as concisely as possible. After finishing, he looked up at Song Shiyu expectantly. "Hurry and organize everything for me. My head feels all dizzy."
"I understand." Song Shiyu pondered for a moment. "The mutation affecting this continent originates from the darkness within people's hearts. That's why it can only be suppressed temporarily, not completely dispelled. Judging from our experiences over the past few days, this power can also spread from person to person."
This power was gradually turning a continent that had once been as beautiful as a fairy tale into an uncontrollable hell.
As for the old king…
"The clues I discovered among the beastmen suggest that Charles has been secretly capturing nonhuman beings, trying to seize their power." Song Shiyu brought up the earl NPC who had died on the first day of the instance. "That earl discovered Charles's crimes and wanted to expose him, but the king banished him."
So the old king's hatred of people conspiring with other races was actually just fear that his crimes would be exposed?
"Different races have always had their share of conflicts. With Charles secretly fueling their hostility, they've grown increasingly resentful of one another, and their relationships have become more and more strained. Eventually, that led to the situation we're facing now," Song Shiyu concluded.
When the power of mutation first appeared on this continent, King Charles failed to remain true to himself. He had nearly become an embodiment of the mutating force itself, constantly influencing others as well.
Hatred was undoubtedly a dark emotion. In such an environment, darkness continued to grow until the darkness in everyone's heart ultimately replaced the goodness within them.
The old king was the catalyst behind this entire mutation.
As for why the old king couldn't be killed, it was probably because of the so-called King's Authority and those endless, indestructible forces of darkness.
Song Shiyu's voice was cool and low, and his explanation of the clues was clear and well-organized. Following the top-tier player's line of reasoning, Yu Deng slowly pieced everything together until he finally understood the instance completely.
So, if they wanted to survive this instance safely and resolve the current crisis, they needed to… capture King Charles, strip him of his King's Authority so he could no longer spread those forces, and find the legendary Dreamheart. Right?
Yu Deng was so deep in thought that he unconsciously moved closer and closer to Song Shiyu.
Suddenly, he felt something fluffy brush against his hand. Startled, he quickly pulled his hand back and nervously looked down.
It was actually a crimson tail.
Yu Deng stared at it blankly for several seconds before turning around. He discovered that the tail was extending from behind Song Shiyu. What was more, Song Shiyu seemed to have more than one tail. He even had a pair of fluffy ears on top of his head.
He looked like a fox!
"My identity in this instance is a beastman of the fox race, so having tails is perfectly normal." Song Shiyu calmly explained. "The missions over the past few days required me to keep my identity a secret, so I concealed it from you. I apologize."
Yu Deng shook his head. Song Shiyu's expression was perfectly composed, but his several tails betrayed their owner's thoughts. They eagerly wound themselves around Yu Deng, and one even sneakily slipped beneath his skirt, pressing against his thigh. The fluffy tip of its tail brushed past his tender, intimate area as if by accident.
Yu Deng let out a soft little hum, the tips of his ears turning red. "What are you doing…?"
The magic mirror finally couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "Your Highness, he's no good—!"
Song Shiyu calmly blocked out the magic mirror's voice. "These are characteristics and instinctive reactions of beastmen. I can't entirely control them. Would Your Highness like to try feeling how soft they are?"
The fluffy fox tails swayed before eagerly crowding in front of Yu Deng, each vying to be the first one petted by the little princess.
Unable to resist the temptation of all that fluff, Yu Deng grabbed a fox tail and gave it a good rub.
Hmm, it felt pretty nice…
So the fluffy thing he had felt on the day his knight applied medicine to him had been a fox tail, right?
Song Shiyu's tail lay in Yu Deng's hands. As Yu Deng stroked it, Song Shiyu's back stiffened, and his breathing grew slightly heavier. Yet his expression remained serious and proper as he continued discussing the plot with Yu Deng.
"Your Highness, you're amazing. You're the first player in this instance to uncover the complete storyline."
Yu Deng immediately puffed out his chest with pride. Hmph! He had made quite a lot of progress, after all. He was super amazing!
After basking in his own glory for a moment, Yu Deng brought his attention back to the matter at hand. "But in that case, how are we supposed to complete the main quest?"
The main quest this time seemed simple at first glance, but the so-called trust level was actually difficult to define. And now that the instance had undergone a mutation, would the mutated NPCs even acknowledge the trust levels they had accumulated before?
"Quests in high-level instances are usually this vague, but Your Highness should have no trouble completing yours," Song Shiyu said.
The princess had practically been training those fantasy races like dogs already. Completing the main quest would be a piece of cake for him.
Yu Deng accepted the reassurance from the top-tier player.
Hmm, compared to the main quest, he actually wanted to complete the additional quest more.
Although he hadn't spent very long in this instance, he had met so many NPCs. He couldn't bring himself to treat them as cold, lifeless instance data, use them for his own purposes, and then simply leave them behind.
He was already much more capable than before. It should be fine if he softened his heart a little and helped these NPCs, right?
Come to think of it, he wondered how the other players were doing now…
Wait—why was that damn knight using his tail to tease him?!
One fluffy tail had slipped all the way beneath Yu Deng's skirt, gliding along the contours of his leg, while the other tails wrapped around his waist. Although Yu Deng and Song Shiyu were clearly more than ten centimeters apart, once the tails coiled around him, it felt as though he were being held in the knight's arms.
Yu Deng came back to his senses and gave the naughty tail a sharp smack, glaring fiercely at Song Shiyu.
Song Shiyu, however, seemed to have guessed what was on Yu Deng's mind. Without changing his expression, he smoothly changed the subject.
"The members of my guild are also gathering clues."
"Eh? Where are they now?"
"In the castle as well. They're disguised as royal guards." Song Shiyu studied Yu Deng's expression. "Would Your Highness like to check on them?"
Yu Deng hesitated for a moment. "That's fine, I suppose."
After all, they had more or less figured out the storyline. All that remained was to find a way to break the deadlock. Having a few more companions might give them a little extra help.
…
As luck would have it, the two players happened to be wandering near the castle's main building. However, they looked as though they had just been through a fight, with their hair and clothes in complete disarray.
Song Shiyu raised a hand, silently signaling Little Pang and Ke Qi to keep their distance for the time being. The two immediately crouched down in the distance, clutching their heads as they watched Yu Deng, attempting to demonstrate their loyalty with their innocent, empty-headed expressions.
Yu Deng hesitated for a few seconds. "They…"
Song Shiyu lowered his head and asked what Yu Deng wanted to do. "Your Highness, they're players too. Would you be willing to discuss clues with them or work together to clear the instance?"
"Eh?"
"You can trust their character. If you're willing, you can share some of your clues with them. They'll be happy to run errands for you."
Yu Deng thought for a few seconds. "That's fine, too. I've encountered them in a previous instance. But I still need to keep up the act and pretend to be an NPC."
Song Shiyu nodded. "Of course."
Yu Deng then nodded toward the two guys standing by the roadside. They immediately came scampering over and performed a rather sloppy royal guard salute.
"Your Highness the Princess."
Yu Deng put on his princessly airs, maintaining the disguise that was practically transparent already. After thinking for a moment, he selected the clue he wanted to share—the one he considered most important to their current mission.
"Everyone already understands the current situation. Now, we need to find the most extraordinary and purest existence on this continent."
That description…?
Little Pang's first thought was that those words were practically tailor-made to describe the princess. They couldn't have been more fitting!
With that thought, Little Pang stole a glance at Yu Deng.
The little princess stood on the dimly lit street in his gorgeous dress, looking exceptionally radiant and beautiful. He seemed completely different from everything around him.
The group all looked at the little princess's pure, luminous eyes, then at the streets shrouded in black mist and the NPCs nearby who were struggling in agony. Suddenly, they arrived at a very reasonable guess.
Yu Deng, meanwhile, was utterly confused. "Why are you all looking at me?"
Little Pang and Ke Qi glanced around, not daring to ask the princess directly. In the end, Song Shiyu was the one who spoke.
"Your Highness," Song Shiyu said softly, "have you ever felt that there's something special about you in this instance?"
Something special about him?
Yu Deng was stumped. He stood still and fell into deep thought.
He thought of the knight who had just teased him with his tails. Oh, and the giant dragon he had spent two days pinned beneath a pile of jewels with. And the merfolk who had taken turns using two of them to torment him in the seawater…
"I understand now!"
Yu Deng's eyes lit up as he finally summed up what made him special. His answer rang out with absolute conviction.
"What's special about me… is that I've encountered an especially large number of bad guys!"