When the plot-skips players into the game world

"We have arrived, gentlemen—"

As the light had just faded away, the sharp and frenzied voice of Yue Lu resounded.

Like a lively announcer, full of passion and spirit.

It seemed to love this "job" very much, without feeling the slightest fatigue.

Still immersed in pain, Arsene looked up and was slightly stunned. He hadn't even realized that they had already set off—not to mention that they had already arrived.

"Is this... the Mirror Hall?"

Arsene focused his gaze—what appeared before him and Aiwass was a magnificent palace, dazzling and mesmerizing.

This was indeed the Mirror Hall. Yet, from Arsene's intuition, its more appropriate name might be the "Jade Palace."

It was entirely made of jade, covering an area at least twenty times larger than the Hall of Silver and Tin—a genuine palace complex, or it could even be called a massive fortress.

Dark green, light green, red, yellow, and even bluish ice and creamy white—the colors of the outer walls were not uniform but were naturally and randomly distributed. Yet, this did not make it appear abrupt or ugly… because on each outer wall was a masterpiece painting, vastly different in style yet seamlessly integrated.

Some were oil paintings, some were ink paintings, and some were reliefs.

These paintings perfectly fused with the jade background of the walls.

It did not belong to any single art style, yet it incorporated all art styles.

"All 'beauty' recognized in the Material Realm converges here."

Aiwass responded: "This is the Mirror Hall."

"...Then, where are the mirrors?"

"The mirrors are, of course, inside."

Aiwass smiled, patting the Moon Deer beneath him: "We will come out again later; can you wait for us?"

"No need for that, revered Son of Candle Master. If you need me, just have the Night Fiend above you call my name. After all, she is also a Phantom Demon of the Path of Love."

Yue Lu let out a sharp laugh reminiscent of "wickedness": "I am called Arnold Eddie McDonald Leaman Gavin Blue Morgan Mel Holmes..."

It rattled off a forty-four-part name in one breath. This name was long enough to compose a song, dizzying to hear.

But with Aiwass' enhanced memory, he easily remembered it.

"Your true name is too long, so I'll call you Arnold normally."

Aiwass gently stroked the head of the Moon Deer and spoke softly.

"As you wish, noble Son of Candle Master! Awaiting—your summons!"

Then the Moon Deer burst into a series of sharp, wild, hysterical, yet passionate laughter—if it had been a circus clown earlier, it now became the clown of Gotham City: "Also anticipating your story!! Awaiting!!!"

It laughed loudly, leapt high again, and vanished instantly into a burst of light.

"Moon Deer... truly a miraculous creature."

Arsene marveled: "Does it go back and forth just to 'hear stories'?"

"Because Yue Lu is, in fact, the embodiment of the concept of 'gossip' in the Dream Realm. That's why its voice is so sharp, excited, and unlikable.

"Just like some people in the Material Realm who, upon hearing others' dark secrets, untold secrets, or painful memories, swear 'Don't worry, I won't tell anyone,' will mostly spice it up and spread it to others. At most, add 'Don't tell anyone else,' so they can feel at ease."

Aiwass explained: "The distance between two hearts in the Material Realm might just be a few rooms or streets apart. But in the Dream Realm, that could be from the Shadow Nation to the Mirror Hall. Yue Lu's speed is just like a 'turn of thought,' transmitting information from one end to the other.

"And to 'spread gossip,' first, there must be transmissible information. So, it can't be something not painful enough, not dirty enough, or not entertaining enough—"

The more entertaining or fascinating the gossip, the more loads Yue Lu can carry and the farther it can teleport. Just like more interesting, unfriendly stories spread faster and wider. The same goes for exciting news; they're always better at stirring emotions than pure jokes or anecdotes.

The most beneficial episode for the study of journalism.

"...Gossip?"

Upon hearing this, Arsene's expression changed: "The things I told it wouldn't get out, would they?"

"Arnold doesn't even know who you are or your name, so how can it spread?"

Aiwass chuckled: "It's just the manifestation of a concept. Death itself cannot die, sleep cannot sleep, so the concept of 'spreading rumors' itself cannot spread rumors.

"Fantoms formed purely from conceptual embodiment like Yue Lu are quite common in the Dream Realm. After all, the Dream Realm is a conceptual projection of the Material Realm. If you're interested, I could take you to see the embodiment of death or reproduction next time."

"...No, that won't be necessary."

Arsene chuckled awkwardly, decisively rejecting Aiwass' proposal: "I think Yue Lu is quite good."

"If that's the case..."

Aiwass smiled and patted Arsene's shoulder: "Then it might be up to you to prepare the return fare—probably for three people's worth."

"...Eh? Me?"

"It can't be me doing it."

Aiwass shrugged: "I dare say, but would you dare listen?"

Of course, he wouldn't dare—

Arsene tugged at the corner of his mouth and proposed a constructive suggestion: "How about Sherlock? Since we're here to rescue him, we should at least have him pay the fare. You might also be curious about what unspeakable past Sherlock may have."

"...That could work too."

Aiwass pondered for a moment, nodding in agreement.

He and Arsene are good friends, true brothers, of Sherlock.

When their brother was in danger, they were the most anxious; and when their brother was safe, they could become the most dangerous.

Yet soon, Aiwass hesitated: "But I feel like, with his character... he might not have any deep-seated past. Even if it's entertaining, if it doesn't stir strong emotions, Yue Lu wouldn't be satisfied."

"He has."

Arsene confidently stated: "I even vaguely know about it. But compared to hearing rumors, I prefer to hear him speak of it himself... It will also allow him to better let go of those things. After speaking about them, even though I felt more regretful and sad... there was a strange sense of relief."

Iris Flower and Star Antimony are fundamentally different.

They inherently lacked the inheritance of the Path of Balance, and thus, lacked the knowledge of alchemy. Although Arsene had the level of the Path of Balance and possessed the talent to become an Alchemist, now he had become a well-known phantom thief of the Iris Flower... he really never knew what ultimate consequences his actions back then had wrought.

This is truly "a world apart."

Now, he finally understood the magnitude of damage he had caused, the severity of the chaos he had stirred up. Back then, when he felt guilty, he donated all his stolen gains to feel at ease, balancing his moral sense... but actually, the money he donated could not atone for the crimes he committed.

This fact, Arsene himself vaguely knew too.

He knew he had certainly gotten less than he should have—and because he got less, the "sins he redeemed" by donating would also be less.

Now decades have passed. It was precisely this worry that kept him from forgetting that incident. It was remembering the sins of the past that allowed him to steadfastly walk the path of the benevolent thief, warning himself not to commit the crime of greed, and always distributing his stolen wealth among the poor.

It was all because of that "vaguely ominous premonition" and "unutterable past."

Now that he had shared everything he had kept hidden with Aiwass, and even learned through Aiwass' analysis his true sins from years ago... Arsene actually felt relaxed instead.

A peculiar sense of relief.

This indeed resembled the preceding step of "gossip spreading"—sharing the hidden secrets in one's heart with others, thereby regaining one's mental clarity.

"Seems like you are starting to understand Yue Lu."

Aiwass remarked with a meaningful smile.

Some stories have a completely different feel when told by the person involved compared to when a third party narrates them. Even if describing the same event with the same content, the impression can be completely different. And what Yue Lu savors is that sense of "authenticity."

"...However, if that's the case..."

After some thought, as a natural seeker of loopholes, Arsene lowered his voice and asked: "What if what I tell Yue Lu is a rumor... or a half-truth, self-embellished story?"

"It's actually feasible, but the distance you can travel will definitely diminish. Because as long as you embellish, your heart won't be as regretful and painful. And if further fictionalized, it approaches the domain of the Grey Celestial Marshal or the Playful Sky Department..."

They chatted as they gradually approached the Mirror Hall.