Chapter 90

Chapter 90: The Mirror Abyss

Wang Fu’s so-called research was completely useless.

He wasn’t actually researching anything; he was just messing around in the psych ward, skirting the line.

Lin Jianyuan wasn’t about to waste his time reporting him to the Bureau.

So when Shi Shaoning asked, Lin Jianyuan just said, “It wasn’t any help.”

Shi Shaoning nodded. “Figured as much.”

The Bureau’s main office was also running similar projects, though they focused more on basic theory.

Lin Jianyuan had left blood and other samples with the research department, filled out endless questionnaires, and now had nothing to do but wait for results.

So.

At the very bottom of the inverted tower.

The S-class containment level.

Lin Jianyuan came here alone once more.

His roommate had wanted to come, but he’d refused.

Delirium’s contamination was too strong now—even his roommate wasn’t immune.

And those little toys he kept around for comfort? Forget it.

If Lin Jianyuan wanted to see Delirium, he had to come alone. Not a single toy on him. Too dangerous otherwise.

He promised his roommate: if anything happened, he’d run and call for help—no more reckless stunts.

Only then did his roommate reluctantly agree.

Rumble—

The massive reinforced concrete door slid open.

That familiar, choking stench of insect repellent hit him. But this time, Lin Jianyuan didn’t black out from the fumes.

He was wearing a special gas mask.

Normally, you weren’t allowed to wear protection down here—the insect repellent soaking into your skin was supposed to help guard against psychic contamination.

Lin Jianyuan didn’t care.

If you really wanted to do research the twisted way, you could just snatch a few heavily medicated psych ward patients and let Delirium contaminate them…

But that was inhumane. The Bureau would never allow it.

The insect repellent pool was still buried under heavy concrete.

With the thick gray cover on top, you couldn’t hear a thing from below.

It felt like being buried alive.

Lin Jianyuan couldn’t help thinking.

Delirium was locked down here, entombed by the weight of reality itself.

Lin Jianyuan worked the controls and opened the pool cover.

With a grinding rumble, the concrete lid slid aside.

A vast, pale green pool of insect repellent lay revealed.

And floating right in the center was a—

Wait, what?!!

Floating?!!

Lin Jianyuan’s eyes went wide—he almost jumped in for a closer look.

He leaned out over the observation platform, craning his neck.

His pupils shrank in shock.

“Delirium?” Lin Jianyuan’s voice echoed through the chamber, disbelief thick in every word.

“Delirium? Are you dead?!”

The male body floating on the surface didn’t move at all.

Lin Jianyuan: "..."

Great.

This idiot always managed to surprise him.

Lin Jianyuan looked around, hoping to find a stick to poke him with.

But there was nothing.

Makes sense—this was an S-class cell. No random sticks lying around.

The only thing he could use was the meter-high observation platform beside the pool.

So Lin Jianyuan just stood on the platform, squinting at the body floating in the center.

Not a twitch.

The thunder of the opening lid, his shouting—none of it got any reaction from Delirium.

He really looked dead.

Then again, was he ever really “alive” to begin with?

For a moment, Lin Jianyuan was seized by the horrifying thought that Delirium had truly been buried alive.

“Delirium.” Lin Jianyuan frowned, and for some reason, a thought flickered in his mind.

“Come here,” Lin Jianyuan said. “Come to me.”

Delirium: "..."

Delirium didn’t move.

Still floated there like a corpse.

Lin Jianyuan: "."

Fine.

He might be shameless, but not that shameless.

Lin Jianyuan scratched his head, embarrassed.

Looked like he wasn’t getting any clues out of Delirium today.

He turned to leave.

But something indescribable welled up in his chest.

Lin Jianyuan glanced back at the center of the pool.

Delirium floated on his back, dead center.

Less a corpse than a block of wood. Or stone. Some pale, sculpted stone.

Something utterly inert.

When Delirium used to thrash in the water, at least it was unsettling.

There was always that uncanny valley feeling—something between the living and the inanimate.

Now, he was just… it.

It was as if…

As if some purpose, some mission, had been fulfilled.

And now, having served that purpose, he was just drifting.

“…Hey.”

Lin Jianyuan frowned, unable to keep from calling out.

His irritated voice echoed in the empty pool.

He didn’t know why, but he was just pissed off—unreasonably so.

It was hard to name the feeling. Restless, suffocated, powerless, like the future was a blank wall.

Yeah.

No hope for the future.

Delirium’s eyes were open, staring at the ceiling, unblinking.

But the longer he stared, the more lifeless he seemed.

He was better off running around like an idiot before.

Back then, his gaze was vacant, lost—but at least he was searching.

But now?

He’d found it.

And just died?

What the hell.

A surge of anger hit Lin Jianyuan. He stepped forward and roared at the pool:

“Get the fuck up!”

“Quit playing dead! Shit!”

“Weren’t you looking for me all this time? You find me, and then you just die? What the hell is that?!”

“Your job’s done so you just drop dead? What the fuck is your mission? Why the fuck were you looking for me?!”

His shouts sent ripples racing across the calm water.

Lin Jianyuan clenched his fists, nearly ready to jump in and drag the bastard out for a beating.

But no—he’d promised Xie Yu he wouldn’t do anything stupid alone.

He took a deep breath, tipped his head back, and forced down the wild frustration.

No waking him up.

Forget it.

Let him rot.

Lin Jianyuan shot the pale corpse one last glare.

Then turned and left the cell.

Rumble—

The pool cover slid shut from both sides.

Rumble—

The heavy reinforced concrete door slowly closed again.

Burying everything inside.

Like reality itself, smothering all hope.

Silence returned.

Everything should have been still.

But—

Drip.

A faint splash.

Tiny ripples spread.

Drip.

Another quiet drop.

Circles of water radiated out.

Softly trembling beneath the weight of concrete and steel.

At the very bottom of the inverted tower, the very first cell.

Buried under layers of concrete and steel.

The pale body floating on the water—its fingertip twitched.

Drip.

Ripples quietly spread beneath the gray-white lid.

Delirium still floated there.

A thousand tons of concrete pressed down overhead.

But a single drop of water fell into his eye.

Drip.

……

...

Leaving Delirium’s cell, Lin Jianyuan passed by Cells 2 and 3.

Those held Remorse and Hesitation, respectively.

Remorse was an old acquaintance; he’d never met Hesitation.

As he passed Cell 3, Lin Jianyuan couldn’t help glancing over.

From the outside, Cell 3 looked exactly like Delirium’s: reinforced concrete, a heavy door blocking all sight and sound.

If you didn’t go in, you’d never know what was inside.

Lin Jianyuan wasn’t in the mood to explore.

Seeing Delirium like that had left him wound up and irritable. What he needed now was to get back to his wife and soak up some positive energy.

Lin Jianyuan hurried up to the top floor of the inverted tower. His roommate rushed to meet him.

“You okay?” Dozens of tentacles reached out, gently touching and stroking him all over.

His roommate asked, “Are you alright? Anywhere uncomfortable?”

Lin Jianyuan was like: "~~~"

Roommate: “Don’t just smile. Solve a calculus problem to prove you’re still sane.”

Lin Jianyuan: "???"

Happy → Not happy.

Wait, when did you learn to use calculus problems to check if someone’s lucid?

“I’m a total math idiot—even at my best, I couldn’t solve a calculus problem!” Lin Jianyuan said in despair.

His roommate burst out laughing, leaned in to kiss him, and said, “Test passed. I knew you’d say that~”

If Lin Jianyuan had actually tried to solve the problem, that would’ve meant something was wrong with his head.

Lin Jianyuan: "?"

Or rather, Lin Jianyuan: "~~"

Wuhu, that’s my wife!

He knows me so well!

They were laughing and about to head to the cafeteria when a desperate scream rang out behind them.

“Lin Jianyuan! Lin Jianyuan!”

It was the squish toy.

Lin Jianyuan turned and realized he’d left all the little toys at the entrance’s daycare.

He coughed awkwardly and hurried back to fetch them.

Little Stone: “It’s okay, you forgot me, it’s fine. I’ll just take the bus home by myself, QAQ.”

Abyssal Maw: “There’s a bus here?”

Angel Eyeball: “I can fly.”

Abyssal Maw: “Then I’ll hitch a ride on your wings. Stone takes the bus. What about Lego? Lego’s too shy for the bus, right? Want a ride in my mouth?”

Little Stone: "?"

Socially anxious Lego: (shivers)

“Nian Nian, why so quiet?” Lin Jianyuan stuffed the toys back in his pocket. Every one of them had spoken except the squish toy.

Squish toy was buried deep in his pocket; Lin Jianyuan had to dig around to find it.

He squeezed its springy, boingy antennae for good measure.

Still, squish toy said nothing.

Lin Jianyuan raised an eyebrow. “What, are you sulking?”

Squish toy: "."

Lin Jianyuan: “If you keep ignoring me, I won’t coax you anymore.”

His roommate glanced over at him.

Lin Jianyuan quickly mouthed: coaxing a kid.

His roommate didn’t say anything, just smiled.

“You—you…” Under Lin Jianyuan’s threat, squish toy finally spoke, voice anxious and aggrieved. “How could you do this?!”

Lin Jianyuan was baffled. “Do what? Oh, you mean forgetting to pick you up? Well, I was, uh, in a hurry to eat…”

And also in a hurry to find a quiet spot for his roommate to “eat.”

“This isn’t the first time!” Squish toy’s frustration peaked. “You keep leaving us at home lately, going out by yourself!”

Lin Jianyuan: "."

He had to admit, it was true.

Ever since they’d moved, the toys slept in the nursery at night, so he often forgot to bring them in the morning.

“So what if I forget? Just think of it as a vacation. You really like working that much?”

Squish toy: “What if you get in trouble and we’re not there?!”

Lin Jianyuan scratched his head. “I’ve got my wife.”

Squish toy: “What if he’s busy? Like last time, with Remorse!”

Lin Jianyuan was even more confused. “Didn’t you guys fail to help last time too?”

Squish toy: "."

Speechless.

Fair enough.

Thinking back, for A-class and below Aberrants, Lin Jianyuan just punched them out himself.

For anything above A-class… the A-class toys were useless anyway.

Hell, just getting close to S-class would leave them mentally contaminated.

At best, they provided background chatter during his fights.

“Keep them with you anyway,” his roommate said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

Lin Jianyuan thought he’d say “just in case,” but instead:

“If anything ever happens to you, I’ll lose it and take it out on them. Might even kill them all.”

He said it in the gentlest tone, but the words were pure anti-Aberrant.

Lin Jianyuan: "."

All the toys: "."

Squish toy said in despair, “I knew it…”

It knew Xie Yu was like this!!!

…So, for the sake of the toys’ safety—and world peace—

Lin Jianyuan decided to double-check that he had all his toys before leaving the house from now on.

That afternoon, Lin Jianyuan had an appointment with a real estate agent to see a new development.

He and his roommate were still renting—partly because they didn’t have enough saved to buy outright, and partly because he wanted to take his time choosing.

He’d always brought his roommate along to house viewings before.

But after a few trips, he realized his roommate wasn’t very interested.

Fair enough.

His roommate wasn’t human—he had no obsession with home ownership.

If not for being with Lin Jianyuan, he wouldn’t even need a place to live.

He’d just wander and eat wherever he wanted.

As long as he ate his fill, the whole “family” was set.

The thought of his roommate’s name on a property deed made Lin Jianyuan want to laugh.

He’d be the first Aberrant in human society to own real estate!

And the first—maybe only—Aberrant with an ID card! Hahaha.

So today, Lin Jianyuan was house-hunting solo.

He could just video call his roommate when it was time to see the model home.

He’d handle all the details—location, landscaping, amenities, delivery standards. No need to trouble his wife.

Today’s place was high-end. Great landscaping, solid amenities.

The sales office was all gold and marble, like a luxury club.

On the way to the model unit, they passed a swimming pool, gym, and even a private banquet room.

The salesperson explained that once all the units were sold, the sales office would be converted into a private clubhouse for residents only.

Damn, it really was a private club.

Lin Jianyuan, the nouveau riche, was a little tempted.

But he forced himself to act unimpressed, just nodding coolly. “Mm.”

With three salespeople and an agent in tow, Lin Jianyuan strode into the gleaming elevator like a CEO.

The elevator doors closed.

Meanwhile, on the stairs beside the elevator—

Salesperson A hurried down the steps, anxious. “Found him yet?”

Salesperson B: “No. Not upstairs either?”

A shook his head. “What about the garage? Or any of the model units?”

B: “Nothing… We checked the cameras. Mr. Lu never left the sales office!”

Meanwhile, by the pool—

“The restroom is right here, miss.” The saleswoman smiled politely, led Liu Jiajia to the ladies’ room, and left.

Liu Jiajia walked in and set her half-finished milk tea on the sink.

She was about to move on, but caught sight of herself in the mirror.

Hm?

She turned, unable to resist a second look.

Why do I look so good today?

The thought popped into her head.

Was it the lighting? Or did this mirror have some slimming effect?

She glanced up at the lights, then stepped closer, curious to admire her own face.

God, she looked good.

She was stunned by her own beauty.

She stared at her reflection, trying to figure out why she looked so stunning today.

Her makeup was the same as always, outfit casual, hair thrown into a ponytail before leaving.

But still—she was gorgeous.

I look amazing today!

Jiajia smiled, pulled out her phone, and instinctively went for a mirror selfie.

This place was so high-end, even the bathroom mirrors were unique.

Three mirrors were arranged at special angles, reflecting each other, so you could see endless versions of yourself.

With the perfect lighting and that understated luxury in the background—

It was made for great photos!

Jiajia couldn’t help snapping several selfies in the mirror.

But no matter the angle, even with the beauty filter maxed out, the photos never looked as good as her reflection.

She frowned, studied the shots, but none matched the beauty in the mirror.

A lifelong pursuer of the perfect shot, Liu Jiajia wasn’t about to give up.

Maybe it was the wide-angle distortion—the phone was too close, couldn’t capture the effect.

Her bestie was outside—she’d call her in for help!

She put her phone away and reached for her milk tea.

…Huh?

Where was it?

Jiajia froze.

The sink beside her was empty.

She looked up, confused—and saw, on the other side of the mirror, her half-finished milk tea sitting right where her hand should be.

Jiajia turned, bewildered.

In the endless reflections, countless versions of herself turned too.

But no matter how many times the image repeated, there was only one cup of milk tea on the sink.

Only in the largest mirror directly across from her, on the other side, was there a cup.

“Jiajia? Jiajia?”

A familiar figure appeared in the huge mirror.

It was her best friend, Bai Zhihui.

Jiajia’s eyes went wide as she looked around in fear.

—No one.

There was no one beside her.

Zhihui was in the mirror, but not in the room.

Jiajia’s hair stood on end. She stumbled back, trying to escape this creepy bathroom—

Where was the door?!

Jiajia panicked.

Standing in front of her was another terrified version of herself!

No, not another self—just a mirror.

Another mirror!

She was surrounded by endless mirrors!

Her heart pounded. She nearly fainted from fear.

She rushed back to the largest mirror, leaned in, and pounded on the glass.

“Zhihui! Zhihui! Bai Zhihui!” Jiajia was on the verge of tears, her manicured hands slapping the mirror. “Zhihui, I’m here! I’m right here! Help me! Get someone to help me!”

But Zhihui, on the other side, didn’t seem to hear a thing.

No sound passed through the glass.

Zhihui walked in and immediately spotted a cup of milk tea on the sink, identical to the one she was holding.

“Huh? Where’d she go?”

Zhihui called out a few times.

But the luxurious bathroom remained silent.

“Where’d she run off to…” Zhihui muttered, setting her own cup down.

Whatever, she was here already.

She was about to use the restroom when she caught sight of herself in the mirror.

Hm?

She turned and couldn’t help staring.

Why do I look so good today?

The thought popped into her head.

Without hesitation, Zhihui pulled out her phone and took a selfie.

Half a minute later.

Jiajia: "."

Zhihui: "."

Best friends, reunited in the mirror.

Jiajia freaked out. “Aaaah, you came in too! I was counting on you to go get help!”

Zhihui scratched her head. “What’s going on?” She looked around, confused. “What is this place?”

“Help! Let me out!” Jiajia climbed onto the sink, her manicured fingers clawing at the mirror. “Let me out, I need to pee!”

“Stop!” Zhihui shivered, eyes brimming with tears. “I didn’t even need to pee until you said that…”

On the sink, two identical half-finished milk teas sat side by side.

In the mirror, countless reflections overlapped.

Like parallel, endless abysses.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened.

“Mr. Lin, you really should consider our property…”

A salesperson hurried after him from the elevator.

Lin Jianyuan said, exasperated, “Look, your lighting is a mess. And your first phase—so many owners are fighting for their rights. Search Xiaohongshu, first thing you see is complaints about your actual delivery not matching the contract. How am I supposed to consider this? What’s there to consider? Bro, this isn’t how you do business. If you don’t build good houses, what’s the point of a fancy sales office? You’re just luring people in for the slaughter.”

The salesperson tried to argue, but the agent cut in quickly: “Alright, alright. I’ve seen the remaining units and the lighting is an issue. Let our client go home and think it over.”

With things at this point, pressing further would just be rude.

The salesperson could only say, “Alright.”

But Lin Jianyuan suddenly stopped.

Both the agent and salesperson froze.

The salesperson thought there was hope and stepped forward to try again.

But Lin Jianyuan rubbed his ear, looked around, and asked, “Do you guys hear something?”

Salesperson & agent: “Huh?”

Lin Jianyuan: “Like fingernails on a chalkboard…”

He shuddered before finishing, then turned back.

The salesperson was thrilled. “Mr. Lin, I know your standards are high—why not look at our best unit…”

But before he could continue, Lin Jianyuan cut him off with a raised hand.

“Bathroom,” Lin Jianyuan said.

Salesperson: "."

So annoying.

But he had to keep smiling.

Damn, money’s hard to earn and shit’s hard to swallow.

The salesperson smiled politely, but cursed inside.

He led the client to the luxury restroom with forced courtesy.