The female delegate’s bodyguard captain was the first to snap back to his senses. He realized they must be caught up in a paranormal event. With a low shout, he roused his companions, then drew his gun and fired several shots—bang, bang, bang—at the mirror.
Although they couldn’t carry live ammunition because they were in a foreign country, their taser guns had been specially modified. The electrified projectiles they fired hit with an impact comparable to rubber bullets.
With a bang, cracks instantly spiderwebbed across the mirror’s surface.
The bodyguard captain had assumed that such a loud commotion would surely alert the paranormal patrol squad outside. Contrary to his expectations, after waiting several seconds, there was no movement at the door.
“The vigilance of these Celestial people is truly terrible!” the bodyguard captain grumbled. He and his partner then hoisted the female delegate up by her arms, one on each side, pushed the door open, and fled the restroom.
Once outside, however, they immediately sensed something was wrong. The corridor outside was dimly lit, the lights flickering as if they had a loose connection.
Most importantly, the patrol officers who had been stationed every ten steps, or even every three, were now completely gone. The entire long corridor was eerily empty, without a single soul in sight.
Although the female delegate was a member of another country’s paranormal department, she was essentially just a desk officer. She could theorize all day, but actually being involved in a paranormal incident was no different from being killed outright. In just this short time, her legs had already turned to jelly, and she was on the verge of losing bladder control.
“Move, let’s head back first!” the bodyguard captain decided immediately. A banquet was underway in the main hall, attended by numerous paranormal agents. If a paranormal incident did occur, they would naturally have the means to handle it. That was far more reliable than leaving it to bodyguards to resolve.
The two bodyguards stepped forward and pushed the doors open. With a heavy thud, the doors swung wide, but eerily, the entire hall was completely empty, deathly silent.
For a moment, they were at a loss, unsure whether to advance or retreat. Just then, another door to the side was also flung open with a thud, and a man walked into the deserted hall.
This man was none other than Wang Han, whose bladder had been stirred by the tedious performances. He had taken the excuse of a bathroom break to step out for some fresh air and a cigarette.
Standing at the restroom entrance, Wang Han glanced left and right to confirm no “acquaintances” had followed him. He then ducked into the restroom, promptly lit a cigarette, and hummed a tune while using the facilities, also making a phone call.
“Darling, hey, I’m at the banquet. Just snuck out to give you a call. Have you eaten? What did you have? Was it good? When I get back, you have to make it for me. Oh, by the way, have you gone to look at wedding dresses these past couple of days? Seen any you like? Buy it, buy them all. Your man works this hard, isn’t the money I earn so you can have a better life? For a big event like a wedding, naturally we have to pick the best and most beautiful… Mm-hmm, I’ll come with you to look as soon as I’m back.”
“Right, have you picked a date? I’ve looked at a few dates I think are pretty good for your reference. I also gave the division a heads-up. Don’t worry, the chief nodded, and I’ll get a nice long vacation then.”
“I’ll marry you when I get back.”
“Yeah, love you.”
After finishing the call with his girlfriend, Wang Han’s mood improved even more. Humming his tune with a cigarette dangling from his lips, he dreamed of the “wedding” two months away. He walked over to the sink, and just as he was about to turn on the faucet, he saw in the mirror a ghastly pale version of “himself” staring back.
“…”
Damn!
Wang Han was so startled the cigarette fell from his mouth. Cursing under his breath, invoking the name of a certain plant, he simultaneously pulled out his phone and charged towards the door. As the deputy captain of a paranormal squad, this wasn’t his first paranormal event. He knew deep down the best solution to a sudden incident came down to two words—
Run!
Engaging an anomaly recklessly in such a situation was pure foolishness. The best approach was to leave the center of the paranormal incident as quickly as possible and then call for backup.
Moreover, this was no ordinary place. It was the banquet welcoming delegations from various countries. If something went wrong here, the Great Celestial Dynasty would lose all face.
Though Wang Han didn’t know about the Supervisor Chen matter, he did know that the chief and Shen Ge were investigating the Aberrants, and that the Aberrant organization might very well make a move at this banquet. So the moment he detected a paranormal incident, his first thought was to report to Deng Yuqi.
The phone had no signal. Wang Han wasn’t surprised. But when he saw the indicator light on his communicator also glowing red, he realized the situation was dire.
He rushed out of the restroom. The corridor was dark, the lights flickering. Wang Han glanced back at the restroom door, but nothing was chasing him.
Thud!
Wang Han had no time to wonder where all the patrol officers in the corridor had gone. He shouldered the hall doors open and charged inside. The harsh glare of the lights, going from a dim area into a brightly lit one, immediately stung his eyes, and he instinctively raised a hand to shield them.
When Wang Han lowered his hand, he saw dozens of banquet tables set up in the spacious hall. But this wasn’t the banquet for the delegations; it looked more like a wedding feast.
At that moment, the sound of wedding bells echoed through the hotel hall. A magnificent crystal chandelier cast a soft glow over rows upon rows of neatly arranged tables and chairs.
The tables were covered with smooth tablecloths, laid out with exquisite tableware and fresh flowers. The faint fragrance of flowers mingled with the scent of champagne, intoxicatingly sweet.
The hotel walls were adorned with balloons and garlands, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Children laughed and played in the game area, while the elderly reminisced in the corners, savoring this rare peace and warmth. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, blending with the indoor lights, as soft as the wings of an angel.
In such a setting, everyone’s smiles seemed magnified, every laugh filled with a longing for a beautiful life and boundless hope for the future. It was a vivid tableau, one of the most beautiful moments in life, every detail unforgettable.
Just then, the emcee, in a solemn and stirring voice, read out the vows and announced the entrance of the groom and bride.
“Wang Han, what are you spacing out for? Didn’t you hear them calling you?” At that moment, a familiar voice sounded from behind Wang Han. He turned around to see several groomsmen in sharp suits smiling at him.
Ma Chao, Zhang Hu, Zhao Long… Behind them were the three little bridesmaids.
Familiar face after familiar face appeared behind him. They smiled at Wang Han and kept urging him to hurry onto the stage.
This was the wedding he had long awaited, the one he dreamed of, marrying his “first love.”
For a moment, Wang Han felt a bit dazed. Just as he was about to reach out and take the bouquet Ma Chao offered, he suddenly blurted out a subconscious question: “Why don’t I see Shen Tan and the chief?”
Something eerie happened. Those smiling “acquaintances” simply repeated the same words, with no further response.
“To hell with you! You think you can show off such pathetic tricks in front of a master?” Wang Han roared. He clapped his palms together, and two pieces of amber stone in his palms rapidly spread, instantly encasing his arms in a pair of mechanical gauntlets.
Bang!
Wang Han slammed his fist into Ma Chao’s face, chuckling. “Damn, I’ve wanted to punch you for ages. Might as well get my fill now!”
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Han beat up Ma Chao, Zhang Hu, Zhao Long, and the others by the door. Everyone around him tried to dissuade him, but they merely “spoke,” taking no physical action.
Wang Han guessed he might be hallucinating under the influence of paranormal energy. The most important thing now was to find a way to regain consciousness, so he started smashing everything in sight.
As Wang Han “went berserk,” people in the banquet hall screamed, wailed, and fled in panic, as if it were all real, not just an illusion.
Just then, the main doors opened again. This time, however, the person who entered from outside was his “first love,” clad in a wedding dress, whose beauty had always captivated Wang Han completely.
“Wang Han, what are you doing?” his girlfriend asked, bewildered.
Wang Han spat viciously and cursed, “Oh, nice, pulling that card too, huh? Just don’t let me find you, or I’ll beat you so badly your own mother won’t recognize you.”
If he hadn’t just spoken to his girlfriend on the phone and knew perfectly well she was at home in Rong City, he might have easily been “fooled” by the person before him.
As a professional paranormal agent, Wang Han deeply understood the principle of facing fear to overcome it. The Aberrant wanted to trap him in a beautiful illusion, so he had to shatter that beauty.
Thus, Wang Han launched a punch straight at his girlfriend’s face.
Thud!
The force of the punch, amplified by the mechanical gauntlets, sent the woman flying. She crashed against the door and crumpled to the ground. Then he heard her tearful scream: “Wang Han! How dare you hit me!”
Wang Han froze for a split second, then flicked his right hand. With a shing, the mechanical gauntlet transformed into a sharp pair of scissors, which he plunged directly into the woman’s forehead, piercing her skull mid-expression of shock.
“Tch, almost had me fooled there.”
“By the way, your simulation isn’t very accurate. My wife isn’t nearly this fierce.”
Ignoring the people around him trying to stop him, Wang Han headed straight for the door. Anyone who dared approach to block him was simply sent flying with a punch.
Back in the dim corridor, Wang Han walked towards the end. Strangely, after several minutes of walking, he found himself back at the doors to the main hall.
“Alright, gotta break the killing desire, huh? I have to slaughter all my loved ones to leave this dreamscape? I’ve seen this episode, the novels have worn this trope out!” Wang Han cursed angrily and kicked the door hard. With a loud crash, the door flew open.
Inside, an empty hall, a dark space, like a haunted house.
Even more bizarre, at another door nearby, several bodyguards in sharp suits were protecting a lavishly dressed woman, all of them staring at him in shock.
“Huh? So I’m out, just like that?” Wang Han looked utterly confused, clearly not expecting his willpower to be so strong that he easily dispelled the influence of the paranormal energy.
“Halt! Who are you?” The bodyguard captain raised his taser gun, pointing it at Wang Han.
Wang Han pulled his ID from his pocket and flung it like a playing card towards the bodyguard captain, announcing loudly, “Rong City Special Policy Department, Deputy Captain of Paranormal Squad Three, Wang Han. Which country’s delegation are you with? Did you also run into trouble after entering the restroom?”
Wang Han’s few words and his ID quickly earned the bodyguard captain’s trust. At a time like this, a professional paranormal agent was far more reassuring.
“Are we trapped in a paranormal incident?” the bodyguard captain asked.
Wang Han nodded. “Not an ordinary one. We’ve likely been pulled into a paranormal space. It’s like being in a different dimension from reality. Very troublesome.”
Wang Han wanted to say that in these situations, being trapped for ten days to half a month was common, but to avoid causing panic among these people, he swallowed the words.
“Can you get us out of here?” the female delegate asked.
Just as Wang Han was about to speak, he suddenly noticed the lights near the stage at the far end flicker. Two shadowy figures flickered in and out of view in the dark corner.
Then, on the wall behind the stage, human head-sized bulges began to protrude. They gradually formed the shapes of human faces, constantly twisting and struggling, as if trying to break free from the wall.
Wang Han immediately gestured for the group to retreat, to get away from the stage. The female delegate was so terrified by the grotesque faces on the wall that she began to cry. Wang Han quickly clamped his hand tightly over her mouth, whispering fiercely, “Hold it in if you don’t want to die! Don’t attract the anomaly’s attention!”
Though terrified, the female delegate clamped her own hand over her mouth, afraid to make even the slightest sound that might draw the attention of the monsters on the wall.
Click.
Click.
The strange cracking sounds from the wall grew louder. The protruding faces became more distinct, and then cracks appeared across the surface.
The “faces” slowly squeezed out from the wall, coalescing into humanoid forms, twisted like puppets, walking towards the group.
These creatures, suspected to be Aberrants, moved exactly like “dolls,” their limbs stiff, producing strange click-clack sounds as they walked.
The bodyguards were so frightened they immediately pulled their triggers and fired. But how could their taser guns possibly affect an anomaly? Wang Han grabbed two of the petrified bodyguards by their collars and shoved them towards the door.
“Go, move, go! Don’t just stand there! Soon you won’t be able to leave even if you want to!” Wang Han shouted, also running for the door.
Seeing this, the others didn’t dare hesitate. They followed Wang Han, supporting the female delegate as they retreated towards the door. Fortunately, the faceless puppet-like monsters moved slowly and were still some distance away.
More and more faceless Aberrants squeezed out from the wall. As he retreated, Wang Han instinctively glanced towards the stage. For every new face that appeared on the wall, another faceless Aberrant emerged. What was terrifying was that among the faces on the wall, he actually recognized some.
They weren’t Wang Han’s “acquaintances” exactly—more like people he’d glimpsed once. They seemed to be the patrol officers he had seen when entering the venue.
“Did those faceless Aberrants come from fallen soldiers? Or… were those soldiers the hidden Aberrants all along?” Wang Han mulled it over. He had to find a way immediately to get this information to the chief and Shen Ge. They were probably the only ones capable of resolving this paranormal incident.
The phone was useless, the communicator had no signal. For the moment, Wang Han couldn’t find a way to contact Deng Yuqi or Shen Ge. And judging by sight, these Aberrants were at least Level 2. He could handle one or two, but dozens or even hundreds? He wasn’t some freak who could cut through Level 3 or 4 Aberrants like chopping vegetables!
What’s more, members of a foreign delegation were with him. These were internationally prominent figures. If a mere deputy captain like him abandoned the delegation to save himself, even if the chief didn’t pursue it, the old-timers above would have him packing his bags in no time.
“What should I do?” Wang Han forced himself to calm down.
Paranormal spaces generally had rules to follow. If you found the right method, you could locate the distortion point and break through the space.
Illusions, fake people, mirror images…
“The mirror!”
“It’s the mirror!”
