At the same moment Sophia was testing her abilities in the monastery...
At the end of North Street, Nine District Central City.
My name is Lumiel, and I'm a somewhat unlucky new house salesperson.
Because I don't really understand social etiquette, I'm often ostracized by colleagues, and my boss doesn't like me much.
So, some hard-to-sell properties are usually dumped on me.
I haven't sold a house in several months, and a few have even been returned. If this continues, I might not be able to pay next month's rent.
Fortunately, a very interested and important client is coming today!
I must pull myself together!
Come on, you can do it, Lumiel!
In front of a mansion at the end of North Street, a young man in a suit clenched his fists, took a deep breath, composed his downcast expression, and forced a somewhat stiff smile.
Just then, a carriage stopped in front of the mansion.
Oh, the client is here!
Lumiel adjusted his tie, looking nervously at the slowly opening carriage door.
When he saw the important client, Lumiel couldn't help but hold his breath.
It was a young man from the East; his face was clean and pale, carrying a faint, jade-carved afterglow as the morning mist drifted down.
He wore a grey and white casual suit, allowing for easy movement while still being suitable for formal occasions.
He held a cane, a slight smile on his face, as he slowly stepped down, lightly raising his hat and nodding towards me, like a true noble gentleman.
"Sir... Sir! You are Mr. Andy Li, the client, right?" Lumiel was a bit incoherent, but fortunately, the other party was a gentleman and didn't seem to mind his momentary lapse.
The client smiled and nodded:
"Yes, just call me Andy. The house is the one behind you, right? Did you bring the contract?"
"Huh?" Lumiel was stunned. "Aren't you going to look inside first?"
"No need."
Li Andy waved his hand; he was more familiar with the house's interior than his own home.
Lumiel looked at the young man's face and couldn't help but feel a little uneasy: "Um... Mr. Andy, perhaps you should reconsider? Actually... this house... it's not very clean..."
"Oh? Did something happen?" Li Andy raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance.
"Uh... there was a murder here once. The previous few owners all said they saw some... 'dirty things' at night."
Lumiel felt a bit bitter inside, thinking he might only be able to eat one meal a day next month.
Unexpectedly, the client's eyes lit up, and he said with a joyful tone:
"Oh? That's great, I like excitement."
"Huh?"
Lumiel was stunned, suddenly realizing that this client... seemed a little off mentally.
"Where's the contract? Bring it out, I'll sign it," Li Andy urged.
Lumiel took a deep breath:
"Are you... sure?"
Li Andy frowned:
"What, you don't want to? Or are you... trying to temporarily raise the price?"
Lumiel just blinked, and the client's face suddenly appeared right in front of him!
Those deep, dark eyes seemed to swallow all light.
"No... it's not that..."
Lumiel's heart leaped into his throat. He shakily took out the contract, and after it was signed, he fled as if escaping.
Li Andy shrugged helplessly, then touched his face in the window's reflection:
"Am I that scary? This face, isn't it quite good-looking?"
As soon as he finished speaking, through the glass, he saw a pale-faced child inside the house staring directly at him.
But in the blink of an eye, the child suddenly vanished, as if it were just an optical illusion for the viewer.
"Hiss--!"
Li Andy gasped, indignantly saying,
"This house is mine now. You're wandering around inside. Have you paid me rent, utilities, and property fees?"
A horror game protagonist's mansion wouldn't be authentic without some 'dirty things'.
Li Andy shook his head and pushed the door open, walking inside.
Inside the house, it was cold and quiet.
Antique furniture was displayed, each piece covered with a white dust sheet, floating in the dust motes carried by the morning light, like... shrouds for the dead.
"Tsk, so dirty..."
Li Andy stood in the center of the living room, scanned the area, and clapped his hands.
"You are already mature furniture. You should learn to clean yourselves, understand?"
As his words fell, all the furniture in the room collectively trembled, grew matchstick limbs, and busily began to clean, as if afraid of being fired by the boss if they were too slow.
In an instant, the room was bustling with activity, a stark contrast to its previous coldness.
Li Andy nodded with satisfaction, dropped a casual "Don't be lazy, okay?", and walked directly to the innermost room on the second floor.
Inside the room, there was an old Schiller upright piano, and not far from the piano, there was a full-length mirror.
Li Andy approached the mirror, pinching his chin as he examined his reflection.
Suddenly, the piano behind him played a single, brief, and urgent bass note.
Li Andy frowned; he hadn't activated the piano just now.
Just then, the "Li Andy" in the mirror suddenly began to smile eerily on its own.
......
......
"You won't scare anyone like that."
The "Li Andy" in the mirror froze.
The Li Andy outside the mirror grinned.
At this moment, the "Li Andy" in the mirror was horrified to discover that he couldn't reflect the other party's shadow!!!
"Bang--!"
The mirror shattered suddenly. Amidst the reflective shards, not a single piece could capture his shadow.
"Don't go..."
"You haven't paid your rent yet..."
Li Andy stepped over the fragments, suddenly reaching to the side and grabbing a completely transparent "mirror" that was hidden in mid-air, trying to escape.
【Relic: Illusion Mirror】
In the game, this was one of Yuquan Youxi's frequently used relics, and one of the first few she obtained, without borrowing 'non-object' power.
【Ability 1: Concealment】
【Description: You can use it to hide your tracks; ordinary people and ghosts will find it difficult to detect you.】
【Ability 2: Scrying Mirror, Manifesting Mirror】
【Description: Can perceive mirrors within a few hundred meters, scry their reflections, or project your own reflection.】
【Side Effect: After using any of the mirror's abilities, it will steal your shadow for a period of time, such that you cannot see your own face in mirrors in reality.】
【Developer's Note: You turned it on without a beauty filter?? Be careful, I'll scare you to death!】
"It has a little bit of sentience, but it's far inferior to the Puppet Mother."
"The side effects are minor, and it can be used by others."
"It just loves to escape; when your soul perception isn't strong, it's easy not to find it..."
Li Andy tossed the now blurry and trembling mirror, muttering:
"So... to eat, or not to eat?"
(Suddenly noticed that persimmon is censoring comments, especially those with pictures. I don't know if my replies can reach my godfathers.)