Chapter 2984: Instance "Reflection"
Once a decision was made, taking action was easy. By the time Xu Huo and Wei Mang arrived at the Wang Family Manor, the estate had undergone another expansion. According to measurements taken by two Enforcement Department players, the instance range had already multiplied several times over, meaning it now encompassed the original size of the manor.
Although the Wang Family Manor only occupied a portion of the original estate, the other parts had not been destroyed. They had been repeatedly renovated over time, becoming a tourist attraction open to the public and preserved quite well. Now, those areas had also been absorbed into the instance.
From the outside, the structure of the manor appeared unchanged, but the instance had simply enclosed both sections of the estate together.
Outside the instance grounds, several Outer Zone players had gathered, seemingly waiting for others who also intended to enter the instance.
When Xu Huo and the others approached, they paid no attention, because Xu Huo had changed his face again. Although he was an A-Class player, the value of an A-Class player from Zone 014 was far lower than that of one from the Outer Zones.
Whether he was there to take a gamble or simply to watch the excitement, he wasn't worth noticing.
"Mr. Yu," the two Enforcement Department players said. They had already communicated with Nie Xuan and were responsible for liaising with Xu Huo. However, they didn't know Xu Huo's true identity and only assumed he was someone Nie Xuan had brought in to help.
"What's the situation?" Xu Huo asked.
"We and the Wang family haven't received any new information yet. News was still coming out in the first half hour after the instance appeared, but now an hour has passed, and it's probably not looking good," the female player said. "Additionally, none of the Outer Zone players near the instance have entered yet. They're still watching."
Xu Huo nodded, then found a spot to wait.
Wei Mang didn't know what he was waiting for, but despite his anxiety, he held his patience and didn't press for answers.
About ten more minutes passed before a teleportation portal opened near the instance. The Painting Woman, carrying her backpack, stepped through from the other side. She immediately locked eyes on Xu Huo, happily ran over to him, and eagerly showed him the content she had written in advance.
It seemed she had thoroughly enjoyed herself at the Enforcement Headquarters.
"I'm going into the instance to take a look," Xu Huo said to her. "Do you want to come?"
The Painting Woman turned back to glance at the area beside her, which appeared no different on the surface but was actually shrouded in energy. She cheerfully agreed, "I want to play too."
Xu Huo turned to Wei Mang. "Are you coming?"
Wei Mang hesitated. "I only have two tickets."
"The Enforcement Department has some," the Painting Woman said. She didn't need a ticket, but here, she had to follow local customs.
Wei Mang immediately replied, "I have to go no matter what."
Xu Huo didn't trust the Wang family's players, so he instructed the Enforcement Headquarters personnel to wait outside. If it worked, they could first send Wang Xiaohui and the others out, since she didn't have a ticket and couldn't leave normally unless the instance disappeared.
Xu Huo observed the instance's range and said, "The manor has four main entrances and sixteen smaller ones. The players' original entrance has already been sealed by the instance. We'll enter through the left and right entrances."
He handed Wei Mang a new communicator. "Contact me immediately after entering. If the communicator doesn't work, leave a mark."
Wei Mang nodded solemnly, turned, and ran toward the entrance on the right side of the original Wang family gate.
Xu Huo and the Painting Woman circled around to the left.
There were people on the left, so Xu Huo went around to another gate before having the Painting Woman revert to her painting state. He then stepped into the instance grounds.
From the outside, the manor was visible, but no matter the angle, those entering couldn't be seen. To be cautious, Xu Huo still found a spot out of others' line of sight before releasing her.
The Painting Woman transformed back into human form and looked around. She immediately grew excited: "This place is so beautiful!"
Outside, it was night, and inside the instance, it was also night. But because the manor was lit everywhere, with a refined layout of pavilions and towers every few steps, every spot was a scenic view. The scenery layered and shifted, each step offering a delightful sight.
Amid the gentle sound of flowing water from a spring landscape, Xu Huo received an instance notification.
[Detected that player Passerby A has entered the A-Class instance "Reflection." Default participation in this instance.]
[Background Introduction: Almost everyone has seen their own reflection—in mirrors, on water surfaces, on reflective metal, on cups, on lenses, on polished floors... People are constantly surrounded by their own reflected images, yet they pay no attention.]
[The content of a reflection presents the appearance of the person being reflected, but strangely, a person's reflection can also show jarring changes. For example, discovering that the self in the mirror is frightening, or that the self on the floor is twisted and deformed. This inevitably raises doubts: Is the reflected shadow truly oneself?]
[Clearance Task: Kill the reflection.]
[Clearance Time: Unlimited.]
The clearance task for this instance was very clear: reflections... Xu Huo looked down at his own slightly rippling figure on the lake's surface. His features and form were clearly visible, but in just one breath, a fish swimming by splashed water, completely shattering his reflection.
On the violently rippling water surface, another head appeared—the Painting Woman. She curiously stared at the water for two seconds, found nothing interesting, and turned back to Xu Huo.
"Let's go," Xu Huo said.
They walked along the wooden corridor, passed through several moon-shaped doorways, and finally reached the Wang Family Manor's grounds. But it was empty—not just here, but within Xu Huo's perception range, there was no one else.
Moreover, his perception wasn't restricted, but he sensed a very dense concentration of power here. Spatial power and spiritual power were everywhere.
Originally, they were waiting by a pavilion, but when Xu Huo looked up, he found himself facing a bronze mirror hanging outside a small attic across the way.
The bronze mirror was old and somewhat unclear. It had been preserved as a special cultural artifact, with a sign next to it explaining its origin. It was said to be a relic of a family member of one of the mansion's former owners, featuring a very meaningful pattern style. As a result, it had been collected by later owners and passed down to the present.
"The pattern is on the back. Why is the front facing up?" the Painting Woman asked in confusion. She reached out and flipped the mirror over, nodded in satisfaction, then looked down at Xu Huo below. "It seems like there are a lot of mirrors in the rooms too."
This was already within the Wang Family Manor's grounds. Although the decor and furnishings mostly maintained an antique style, many things had fallen behind the times, and some small ornaments had a strong modern artistic feel.
This should have been a girl's room. The dressing table was cluttered with items, and on the wall opposite was a large mirror, clearly reflecting the images of Xu Huo and the Painting Woman.
However, the mirror seemed to have a slight manufacturing defect. The middle part of the face appeared somewhat distorted, as if the face had been artificially stretched a bit. It didn't affect use, but a careful observer would find it uncomfortable.
The Painting Woman suddenly leaned close to the mirror, carefully examining her own reflection, then turned back in surprise. "The me in the mirror isn't pretty!"