Clutching the mermaid amulet, Mu Sicheng followed Bai Liu's instructions and made his way to the foremost carriage—the one farthest from the mirror. Bai Liu had insisted on this precaution, fearing the god-level NPC's area attack might be so vast that Mu Sicheng wouldn't have time to use the item and would die instantly; it was best to keep as much distance as possible. Before leaving, Mu Sicheng cast one last glance at Bai Liu.
A player with a single point of health, facing the imminent emergence of a god-level NPC—under any other circumstances, Mu Sicheng would have thought this man was doomed.
But if that player was Bai Liu…
Mu Sicheng drew a deep breath, a wry smile tugging at his lips as he turned away. He suspected he was worrying for nothing, or perhaps Bai Liu had already driven him mad—he actually believed Bai Liu would survive.
This man, who had left both the item and the chance of survival to him, would surely make it out alive.
After all, Bai Liu had just spent a hundred thousand on him; if he died before recouping his investment, that miserly bastard would probably haunt him even as a ghost.
With a helpless shake of his head, Mu Sicheng gripped the amulet, inhaled deeply, and strode away.
Once Mu Sicheng was gone, Bai Liu—who had feigned helplessness, played at brotherhood, and tricked Mu Sicheng into selling his soul—opened the system panel without hesitation:
[System Notification: Player Bai Liu is logging into Player Mu Ke's system panel… Successfully logged in.]
Bai Liu's expression was calm: [Retrieve item (Mermaid Amulet)]
A white mermaid figurine dropped into Bai Liu's palm. Mu Ke's amulet was unbound—perfect for Bai Liu's use.
With the white fishbone whip in one hand and the figurine in the other, Bai Liu drew a long, steady breath, exhaled, and gazed into the mirror, murmuring to himself, "Tavel, I hope you are as I suspect—a sentient, intelligent, wandering NPC. And I hope that, even as a mirror, your memory lasts longer than seven seconds, that you remember what you promised me when you were a merman."
Indeed, Bai Liu had already investigated the god-level NPC. In "Siren Town," the Siren King had told Bai Liu his name was Tavel, though the original siren NPC was called Mede. The Siren King had given Bai Liu a completely unrelated name, and unlike the original, had promised to grant a wish.
This overwriting of data, combined with a series of highly self-aware actions, led Bai Liu to believe Tavel was an intelligent, wandering NPC—one with his own name and will, a powerful being who played the role of a horror game boss, drifting between worlds.
Bai Liu believed Tavel possessed his own memories, which was why he dared to risk shattering the mirror himself.
First, he too had a mermaid amulet; in essence, there was little difference between Mu Sicheng breaking the mirror and himself doing it.
Second, the god-level NPC—Tavel—had once promised to grant Bai Liu a wish. Given how often Tavel had emphasized this, Bai Liu was confident the wish held real power.
Assuming Tavel remembered.
Bai Liu closed his eyes, steadied his breathing, then opened them, gripping the bone whip tightly. He stared into his own reflection and, without hesitation, lashed down.
The instant the whip struck, the train exploded. Flames surged down the length of the carriage like a tidal wave.
Bai Liu's reflection in the mirror shattered into countless fragments. The train roared, its trembling wail echoing as the shards on the floor quivered and reassembled into a broken mirror.
Within the mirror appeared a naked man—his face pale, shadowed, and hauntingly beautiful, his body flawless, muscles sculpted to perfection. Tiny shards of glass clung to his skin like scattered diamonds, glinting beneath his eyes and across his bare form.
His long, silver hair cascaded to his waist, gleaming like liquid mercury. All of this was reflected in the fractured glass, as if it were a priceless work of art.
He seemed to awaken, slowly opening eyes fringed with long lashes, pupils like rippling mirrors, emotionlessly reflecting the apocalyptic inferno outside.
The moment he—Tavel—opened his eyes, every window on the train shattered. The crowd screamed in terror, scrambling for escape, but were swiftly cut down by flying shards, blood spraying in every direction. At the rear, Mu Sicheng was beset by a storm of glass, and as his health hit zero, he gritted his teeth, crushed the amulet, and vanished from the game.
[System Notification: The mirror has been shattered. Player Mu Sicheng has cleared the level. Calculating rewards…]
Du Sanying, dazed, crawled from the flooded carriage. Before he could react, the world before him fractured like a broken mirror, splintering into chaos.
[System Notification: The ghost mirror has been shattered. The mirrored train has ceased operation. Players Du Sanying, Fang Ke, and Liu Huai have cleared the level. Calculating rewards…]
Tavel pressed a cold, slender hand to the glass, lowering his lashes in faint annoyance, as if waking from slumber left him irritable. He murmured, "So noisy."
In an instant, the cacophony of the explosion fell silent.
Shards of metal and panicked passengers froze in midair.
Behind Bai Liu, a wall of fire was poised to engulf him. All around, suspended fragments of glass trembled, encasing him, their razor tips quivering but never striking. The mermaid amulet in Bai Liu's hand crumbled to powder the moment Tavel opened his eyes, white dust slipping through his fingers.
Bai Liu gazed at Tavel in the mirror, exhaling long and slow, and at last, a genuine smile broke across his face. "Long time no see, Tavel."
He had not yet been attacked, and Bai Liu smiled. "So you do remember me?"
Tavel's eyes met his, silver hair swaying like water. "It hasn't been long, Bai Liu. The last time I awoke, you were the first I saw. In such a short span, it's hard to forget you."
"Is that so?" Bai Liu's smile was soft. "Do you remember the wish you promised to grant me last time?"
Tavel nodded, his gaze steady. "Have you decided what to wish for?"
"Yes." Bai Liu's smile deepened. "Attack me, Tavel—use a method that won't kill me. That is my wish."
Tavel was silent for a moment, a subtle confusion flickering across his face. "I rarely encounter humans like you. You… always ask me to attack you. Do you enjoy it so much?"
Had Bai Liu known how much this answer would later deepen Tavel's misunderstanding, he might have chosen his words more carefully. But now, on the verge of victory, facing an NPC whose design he admired, Bai Liu let his guard down, teasing, "Maybe I only like it when it's you. Maybe we're just especially fated?"
A faint, perplexed expression crossed Tavel's otherwise impassive face, but it vanished quickly. He scanned Bai Liu from head to toe with an inorganic gaze. "You have only one point of health left. Any attack I use will kill you."
Bai Liu was shameless. "That's your problem to solve. My wish stands."
Tavel stared at him for a long, long time. At last, he hesitantly leaned out of the mirror, lowered his pale lashes, and, baring his teeth, bit Bai Liu's lips—so lightly it was barely more than a touch.
[System Notification: Player Bai Liu has been attacked by the god-level NPC, Lord of the Ghost Mirror!]
[System Notification: Player Bai Liu's health -0.5. Only 0.5 health remains. Please exit the game immediately!]
"Is this acceptable?" Tavel's lashes trembled as he whispered, his voice so soft it was almost a breath against Bai Liu's ear.
Bai Liu, a little flustered, turned his head and wiped the bite mark from his lips. Unsure what to say, he finally nodded. "…That's fine. Thank you."
Last time… Tavel had kissed him in the same place. Did this NPC have a thing for his lips? Must be his imagination…
['Exploding Last Train' Monster Compendium Update—Ghost Mirror]
[Monster Name: Ghost Mirror (God-level NPC)]
[Traits: ??? (Unknown, system cannot analyze)]
[Weaknesses: None (players are not required to discover this monster's weakness)]
[Attack Patterns: Tail strike, lip bite (2/???). (Note: As the upper limit of attack patterns cannot be determined, collecting one is considered completion.)]
[System Notification: Congratulations, Player Bai Liu, for completing the 'Exploding Last Train' Monster Compendium.]
[System Notification: Player Bai Liu has subdued the mirror monster. Game cleared. Calculating rewards…]
Bai Liu dissolved into motes of light, like shattered glass, before Tavel, waving and smiling in farewell. "Thank you, Tavel. Until we meet again."
Tavel lowered his gaze, touching the lips he had bitten, and murmured, "…Still warm."
It was a warmth unlike the cold of the mirror or the chill of the merman—utterly different, and utterly unafraid of him… The first human he had ever met who did not flinch, who even invited his attack.
After being touched, Bai Liu did not become a cold corpse, staring at him in terror and hatred, nor did he become a monster, cowering and hiding. Bai Liu, still warm, still smiling, looked at him and said, "Until next time, Tavel."
How strange.
How warm.
Next time, what will Bai Liu consider the sum of this monster to be? If Bai Liu knew what he truly was, could he still speak so lightly?
"Until next time, Bai Liu," Tavel whispered to the place where Bai Liu had vanished, closing his eyes.
In that instant, the mirror shattered completely, the train was engulfed in flames, and the screams of the crowd rang out. Yet the monster who brought calamity was undisturbed, closing his eyes to sleep among the cold, shattered glass that had been kissed by a human, waiting for their next encounter.
Upon his lips lingered a warmth that was not his own.