Translator: 549690339
The fog almost covered the entire central district of Yangzhou.
In this area, modern business buildings stood side by side with preserved ancient structures. There were banks, hotels, shopping malls, universities, hospitals, stadiums, Daming Temple, recreational parks, and even the Slender West Lake Scenic Area!
How many people would this area comprise of normally?
But the maze was eerily silent, devoid of any human sound or sight of a single person.
Everyone knew one thing for sure: there was undoubtedly an unknown danger lurking within the maze.
“Let’s go in.” Shen MO nudged Bai Youwei into the passage.
Chang Weicai, the teacher, followed. Tan Xiao remained at the rear.
The journey was smooth and calm.
Shen MO strode along the main path, oblivious to the bifurcations on either side.
After walking continuously for over ten minutes, something started to feel off. The walls flanking them were increasingly teeming with mirrors.
The reflections and refractions of these mirrors made the forked paths appear convoluted, causing further confusion.
“Is this a Mirror Maze?” Tan Xiao observed the sides. “I once played in one at a science museum. It was filled with mirrors, even more than here. Walking around, you could see countless reflections of yourself. It was disorienting.” Bai Youwei responded in surprise, “You’ve been to a science museum?”
Tan Xiao nodded in earnest, “Yes, I handed out flyers and balloons to children there when I was low on money.”
Bai Youwei formed an unspoken smirk.
Ahead, the entire side of an unknown skyscraper was lazing on the ground. Its pure glass walls made entirely of mirrors reflected their moving figures, and also the clear blue sky and white clouds.
Continuing, they found two rows of public bathroom sinks, each with a mirror above. One could see themselves in the mirrors stretching out for at least a hundred meters.
Although they hadn’t reached the end yet, from what they could see, it seemed like ahead was infested with dense mirrors.
Shen MO came to a halt.
The rest stopped too, casting puzzled looks.
“Look at the mirrors.” Shen MO instructed.
Mystified, everyone turned to look at the mirrors around them.
“What are we looking at the mirrors for?” Tan Xiao examined his reflection.
Wearing the same T-shirt and jeans, sporting the same granny hair, but…
something was amiss. He stepped closer to the mirror in bewilderment, and after two or three steps, he jumped back in alarm!
“Holy shit!” Tan Xiao nearly peed his pants, “Take a look at the mirrors! ”
In the mirrors, they were still themselves, yet, not themselves.
Inside the mirrors, they had turned into dolls!
Bai Youwei subconsciously touched her face; her reflection did the same. She touched her hair, and so did her reflection.
Bai Youwei removed her gaze from the mirror, looking down at her hands and pinching herself.
It hurt a bit, turning a little reddish.
She was clearly still human, but the reflection in the mirror showed her as a doll!
This feeling nauseated her.
“Let’s keep moving forward.” Shen MO said calmly, “These mirrors are strange.
Try to stay away from them as much as possible.”
The abnormality of the mirrors was their first slight disturbance since entering the maze, startling but harmless.
After another 20 minutes, they arrived at an open area
With a perfect squared shape, flat and even, there was a round fountain right in the middle, like a standout landmark.
“It’s a public square,” Chang Weicai remarked while surveying the surroundings, his voice slow and solemn. “Yeah, it’s this place… but the trees and flowers are gone, the square was by the canal, but there’s no river here either… ‘
Only countless mirrored walls stood here, and between the mirrors, there were maze interconnections pointing to all directions.
Bai Youwei wheeled herself to the edge of the fountain and noticed her reflection in the water: a doll holding a teddy bear.
She reached out to touch the water surface, but Shen MO caught her wrist, his eyes flashing a warning.
Bai Youwei reluctantly withdrew her hand.
Shen MO turned to Tan Xiao and Chang Weicai, “Although there are no inspectors and rule explanations here, it seems that the condition for clearing this area is to find the exit of this maze. If you have any ideas, don’t hesitate to share..”