So this was That Dream My Nightmare!?
Gazing at the struggling, fearful human-like face on the mirror's back, Cheng Shi felt montarily dazed. He recalled that Herobos had once said the mirror's shattering was connected to Aph Ros...
'Aph Ros, oh Aph Ros — what the hell did you do to get locked away in eternity by [mory]'s sibling god?'
Everyone present had certainly heard of That Dream My Nightmare. But nobody knew it was in Li Jingming's possession.
As the helmsman of the largest intelligence organization — the History School — Zhen Xin was thrilled to see this mirror. But she rely watched and didn't touch, knowing it was haunted — that it could reflect the darkest parts of one's heart.
The mirror's owner, the Dragon King, was equally cautious. When he produced it, he deliberately angled the reflective surface toward an empty seat, ensuring it faced no one present.
So Cheng Shi had only seen its back. He studied it with curiosity, then asked: "This mirror..."
"I obtained it by chance from a mory Traveler." The Dragon King stepped off his tombstone and stood behind the mirror, seeming to recall that morable past.
"During a trial, I was disguised as another player. This duplicitous mory Traveler tried to use
as a stepping stone. Being fellow [mory] believers, I gave him a chance. But he was overly confident. So I found this mirror within his mories.
At first I wasn't sure this was That Dream My Nightmare. Not until... it finished consuming the trapped mory Traveler entirely and reflected another
did I realize this [mory] creation had, by so cosmic design, fallen into my hands."
Zhen Xin also dismounted her tombstone. She didn't dare approach the mirror's front, but wanted a closer look at this legendary servant god relic.
"Legend says That Dream My Nightmare reveals the darkness in one's heart. And you just said it trapped that mory Traveler...
So it can exchange those inside and outside the mirror?
The one you encountered was the mory Traveler's mirror image?"
Zhen Xin's ability to extract the most critical information from scant details — even if Li Jingming didn't get along with her — earned his grudging admiration. He nodded, his tone quite grave:
"Exactly right.
It reflects everyone's dark side and relentlessly tempts you to trade places. Once you agree... being trapped in the mirror forever may be your fate.
After that, it devours your mories with gusto, offering them to itself.
I call the mirror image a 'Nightmare Shadow.' It's not purely darkness — it's more like a collection of desires one never brings to the surface.
So rather than reflecting one's dark heart, it reflects one's desires."
Hearing this, the Jokers gathered close. Cheng Shi examined the mirror from every angle: "You've looked into it?"
"Mm."
"So — is the Dark Dragon King interesting?"
"?"
'What the hell? Dark Dragon King?'
At this label, Li Jingming's face went dark. Zhen Xin, however, laughed. She tossed Cheng Shi an "appreciative" glance, then told the Dragon King with layered aning:
"A desire-born personality isn't a wise choice for splitting. Li Jingming, seems you're quite committed to the Jokers.
What — is this your entry fee?"
Everyone had already figured it out. Once the Dragon King revealed the mirror showed desires, they all knew such a personality couldn't be safely split — nobody wanted to flirt with [Corruption].
So the Dragon King's intention was clear: he was taking the lead in "drafting" an agreent among the Jokers. Or more bluntly, as Zhen Xin put it — an entry oath.
An entry oath staked on baring one's innermost desires.
Liars could hardly trust each other. But problems needed solving and progress needed making. If everyone kept their guard up permanently, effective cooperation was impossible.
So Li Jingming using "personality" as a pretext to produce the mirror was never about "witnessing a personality." It was about getting the Jokers to see each other clearly — displaying their desires openly — and thereby forging an unspoken pact.
Li Jingming didn't deny it. He smiled:
"Since everyone's stayed through all of this, clearly no one's leaving. Since we're doing heart-to-hearts, let's go all the way.
Of course, my bringing this out isn't solely about opening hearts. This mirror holds a secret — one only those who've looked into it are qualified to know.
I believe this secret will be useful to the Jokers. So, everyone — who's going first?"
The mirror could reflect heart's desire, but the Jokers present didn't particularly balk at it. Nobody just wanted to be the first one "laughed at."
But then Zhen Xin stepped forward.
True to her word, she seed absolutely determined to bare her heart to the Jokers.
Though in Cheng Shi's view, her move was less about voluntary honesty and more about curiosity — wanting to see what her own Nightmare Shadow would look like.
He'd thought only Zhen Yi had such "childish wonder." But now — heh — Zhen Xin was just a "kid" too.
"How does this mirror work?"
"Stand before it. Just look at the surface — keep your gaze fixed on it, and it will appear.
While one Nightmare Shadow exists in the mirror, other gazes won't produce another reflection."
"Interesting. But how do you know no second reflection would appear? Dragon King, who did you share such a precious servant god relic with? And who helped you verify this function without a whisper leaking out?"
Zhen Xin's questioning expression was loaded with implication. Li Jingming glanced at her but said nothing.
Zhen Xin snort-laughed, didn't press further, and walked directly to the mirror's front. But the instant her gaze t the glass, the [Deceit] Chosen's pupils contracted. Her expression shifted as she whipped her head to stare at the space behind the mirror.
Seeing her violent reaction, everyone stepped forward. They looked together into the mirror — and every face changed.
Because there, inside the glass, stood a Nightmare Shadow that belonged to none of them. A figure grinning with an eerie smile, waving in greeting.
Wang Weijin!
Cheng Shi recognized him instantly. That Dream My Nightmare was reflecting the Doctor's image!
"This is—!?"
"Huh?"
"WAIT!!!"
Cheng Shi blanked for a second, then his face went dark. He turned toward the empty space the mirror was facing and started shouting:
"Eye No One, is it!?
Love hiding, do you!?
I'll count to three. If you don't show yourself, I'm blasting you!
THREE!"
He raised his hand, but faster than him was the figure seated on the [Truth] tombstone in the mirror's sightline — Wang Mou.
That's right. The Doctor had arrived early. First, in fact.
His experint had gone smoothly. Content with the results, he'd arrived at the venue early. But while waiting, an idea struck — and using his "darkness under the lamp" trick, he'd targeted each arriving Joker, making himself the "no one" in their eyes.
Until Li Jingming produced That Dream My Nightmare and aid it at an "empty" seat.
And just like that, "no one" was caught in the mirror.
The Doctor hadn't planned to hide through the entire gathering. But this sudden exposure turned the previously solemn venue theatrical once more.
When Cheng Shi said he'd count to three, the Doctor — who knew Cheng Shi well — instantly dropped his talent and revealed himself. Because he knew Cheng Shi's mouth was incapable of truth — and certainly incapable of counting to three.
Sure enough, his quick thinking saved him from the Lightning Punishnt already charged in Cheng Shi's hand.
But having poured his heart out in sharing everything, only to discover a freeloader had been lurking all along — Cheng Shi was livid. He pointed at the Doctor, ready to unleash another barrage, but then heard the Doctor say with perfect composure:
"The experint was very successful. Results went smoothly. I've compiled all data and conclusions into a written report, along with so hypotheses I found at 0221's place. How should I hand it to you?"
The profanity on the tip of Cheng Shi's tongue took a sharp detour:
"You m— ...just leave it on the ground, please. I'll take it when we're done."
'Dammit — fell right into his trap!'
Cheng Shi was furious. Whether angry at being conned or angry at his own "weakness," he wasn't sure. But bowing to the greed in his heart, he couldn't help asking: "What kind of experint this ti?"
"Slice fusion experint. A safe variant of the faith stitching experint.
When a person has enough slices, only the quantity grows — not the quality. So I kept wondering: beyond using slices for various purposes, why not reference the faith stitching experint and re-rge similar slices? By using special thods to eliminate slice consciousness and optimize the fusion process, you can compensate for the original body's deficiencies and increase life-force.
The experint's initial success: I rged with another version of myself.
But there's a side effect..."
The Doctor paused, surveying all the Jokers now openly scrutinizing him. "When eliminating slice consciousness, there's a chance of failure — resulting in mild personality splitting.
But looking at it now... that side effect might actually be the real experintal breakthrough?"
"???"
Cheng Shi was stunned again.
He glanced at the liars around him, confirming this was a [Deceit] gathering. But... when did [Fate] arrive?
When did It get here?
Fine — It ca. But did It have to bring gifts too? What a production.
Praise [Fate]!
Temporarily.
...
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