Alka held the mirror in his hand. He walked over to the table facing the window. Casually finding an iron tool, he carefully dismantled the casing. The thin lens completely revealed its form. As Alka’s hand touched it, the luminous outline on the lens vanished entirely.
A successful harvest. Only then did Alka begin to carefully examine this lens in his hand.
One side was a very normal and ordinary mirror, capable of clearly reflecting his own image and the surroundings, no different from any other mirror. The back was very smooth, with a texture like metal. He scrutinized it under the sunlight. It seemed to bear some kind of pattern, but it wasn’t very distinct. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed to be just an ordinary rectangular lens, about the size of his palm.
He picked up the map. The remaining two white dots and one blue dot on the map were still flashing. He clicked on the blue dot that had already dimmed.
[Haunted Villa] (Harvest)
[Difficulty: Courageous]
[Treasure Information: Is there really a ghost in the haunted villa? Or is it merely an illusion in a dream? The so-called fear and haunting seem not to be a real presence, but some power that had been left behind, affecting the Dream Realm.]
[Treasure Vault: Soul-Trapping Demon Mirror.]
The treasure information was more abundant, but it seemed he himself hadn’t gained much more information. Dream Realm... Dream Realm! This meant he might have dreamed last night and experienced the fear that others had felt before. This was the information he already knew. However, the vague information in dreams was easy to forget upon waking. Was it because he wasn’t awakened by the fear in the dream? Why?
Alka did not consider himself truly brave. In this world, which indeed possessed fantastical powers, he was still a bit afraid of ghosts. But it was clear that this was due to the influence of the energy emitted by the Mirror.
"Soul-Trapping Demon Mirror." From the acquired information, he learned the Mirror’s name.
"A magic mirror that imprisons souls? This name hardly sounds legitimate."
Looking at the Mirror, Alka couldn’t help feeling a little worried. Will it have a harmful impact on me? After all, the mere energy it emitted had affected his Dream Realm. Moreover, the villa’s name itself suggested that this energy spread fear within Dream Realms. It doesn’t seem like a positive thing. Dream Realms are generated at night; I wonder if this thing will change at night.
Thinking of this, Alka picked up the lens and, after pondering for a while, reopened the wardrobe and tossed it inside. It’s better not to carry it around, as a precaution.
After easily finding this blue Magic Treasure, Alka suddenly felt a bit leisurely. He found himself somewhat idle.
Looking at the travel guide he had brought back to the table, he started flipping through it. It detailed places worth visiting and sights worth seeing: beautiful streets, specially designed gardens, clusters of statues, beautiful fountains, and so on. And, of course, there were the bustling commercial streets in the city center, the kind filled with luxury goods.
He flipped further. Various art exhibitions, auction events, and museums were listed: the War Memorial Museum, the Island History Museum, the Development Memorial Hall, the Exotic Animal Viewing Center, the Insect Museum... and so on.
Alka felt as if he had stumbled upon something remarkable and flipped back a page. The Insect Museum: it housed some rare insects from the island and beyond, as well as various insect specimens and their histories.
Seeing this, Alka couldn’t help but think of Treasure Vault 5—a Treasure Vault themed around insects. The key to unlock it was an insect symbolizing courage and fearlessness, one that had to be unique to the island. He just didn’t know if the key was a real insect or something symbolic. Thinking of this, it seemed he absolutely had to visit this museum.
He pulled back the curtains and looked at the sunlight outside; it was just approaching noon. He put on his coat, picked up his Civilization Staff, and walked out of the villa.
He arrived at the location shortly after. Looking at his destination, it was a very small area, especially for a museum. Though called a museum, it more closely resembled a shop. However, the sign indeed read ’Insect Museum’.
Hardly anyone seemed interested in it, and the inside was quite deserted. Alka pushed the door and walked in. As he did, a crisp bell chimed.
The old man, who was at the very back of the museum and wearing a pair of glasses, glanced up. Seeing Alka, he came out, looking somewhat surprised. Alka, in turn, feigned genuine interest in insects. He looked around, gazing at the dense displays of insect specimens on both sides and the delicate hand-drawn illustrations. There were many beautiful butterflies, which were the most numerous, but also some creepy, disgusting-looking worms. He could even see some live insects in glass jars and bottles.
The supporting cabinets below were wooden-framed glass display cases, apparently simulating various insect habitats, and he could see some insects living inside them.
"Sir, you seem quite interested in these insects. Would you like me to give you some explanations?" the old man asked, sounding somewhat excited.
Alka turned his head, smiled at him, and then nodded. "Of course, if it’s convenient for you."
"That would be wonderful," the old man said, then began his explanations for Alka. He pointed to a huge insect specimen on the left wall, about the size of a human head. It had a round body, dense feelers, and was covered by an armored shell. "This is a type of sea insect that lives on the seabed," the old man explained. "Don’t let its size fool you; it’s actually a parasite that attaches itself to large fish."
Such a large creature, and it’s a parasite, Alka thought, his expression showing clear interest and astonishment.
This provided the old man with excellent feedback, and he began to introduce the exhibits one by one. He continued his explanations all the way to the innermost part of the museum, where a very exquisite glass case was kept. Inside was an insect specimen. It had long, horn-like appendages, a hard shell on its back, and its three pairs of protruding legs were unusually thick. Its overall color was matte black, but the tips of its two pairs of horn-like appendages bore a faint golden hue. It looked exceptionally majestic and powerful.
"This is a unique insect from Meister Island, called the Golden Horn Hammer. It’s a very impressive and courageous insect," the old man said. "It symbolizes bravery and fearlessness, much like a warrior."
Alka’s target had finally been introduced.