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When Mo Qi woke up, he still felt groggy. He found himself in a windowless room, dimly lit, with only a single light left on for him. His phone was nowhere to be found.
He pressed his hand to his forehead and slowly sat up. To avoid nausea and vomiting from the anesthesia, he moved very cautiously and steadily, using the “bed” beneath him for support as he gradually stood up.
It wasn’t until he left the “bed” that Mo Qi realized it wasn’t a bed at all, but rather an operating table.
The room’s two sides were walls, with one side next to the operating table being a mirror. Opposite the mirror was a large black curtain covering the entire wall. The curtain occasionally fluttered slightly, suggesting that there was something behind it. There were no doors in the room, so the door must be behind the curtain.
Mo Qi quietly observed the curtain for a while, feeling a vague sense of being watched. It was clear that someone was secretly observing him with a clear intention—to make him uncover the curtain himself.
Curiosity got the better of him, so he decided to pull it aside and see for himself.
No matter what was behind it, its purpose was only one thing: to shake his mental defenses.
Mo Qi took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself, and silently prayed that there wouldn’t be anything too gory behind the curtain. He then slowly pulled it aside.
As the black curtain was fully drawn, he saw a row of eight people sitting in chairs. They were a mix of men and women, with no restraints, but their expressions were vacant, as if they were still dreaming.
The blank, vacant stares of the eight people looked somewhat eerie. Fortunately, Mo Qi had already prepared himself mentally and wasn’t overly startled, though he was a bit taken aback.
Among these people, one of them was unmistakably Xiang Zhuo.
Xiang Zhuo hadn’t teamed up with him for this task, and Mo Qi had accepted his decision. After all, any task involving Mo Qi would undoubtedly be a life-threatening SSR-level one. Xiang Zhuo was only an SR-level player, and handling two consecutive SSR-level tasks had been a significant burden for him. His last task had even left him in a state akin to a porcelain doll, nearly unable to return to human form. Given his brush with death, it was understandable that he would want a less demanding task.
However, Mo Qi hadn’t expected that even after disbanding the team and opting for an SR-level task, Xiang Zhuo would still end up in the same world as him and in such a state.
Mo Qi knew someone was watching him in secret, so he didn’t show any recognition towards Xiang Zhuo. Instead, he scanned each person with an impartial gaze and deliberately checked the nearest one’s breath to confirm they were still alive.
They were alive, but each of them looked dazed and vacant, and it was unclear what they had endured. While ordinary people might end up in such a state, it was puzzling that even a player like Xiang Zhuo had ended up like this.
Mo Qi decided to ignore the eight individuals for now and instead inspected other parts behind the curtain. He noticed a sturdy anti-theft door in the corner. Although it was quite solid, escaping wouldn’t be too difficult since there were many Item Cards that could open doors.
On the wall was an electronic clock, which Mo Qi had noticed when he entered Dr. Duan’s office. The clock displayed the date as September 17, 2031, which was just a little over ten years past the student council’s team-building movie day on September 13, 2021.
But now, the electronic clock in the room displayed September 24, 2031, showing that seven days had passed since the last time he had checked.
Mo Qi smiled slightly, not even glancing at the seemingly only escape route—the door. He turned and walked toward the operating table, gently tapping the mirror and saying, “Is anyone there?”
No one answered. Mo Qi continued, “This room has no windows, and the mirror, the curtain, and the clock on the wall are all designed to confuse my sense of time. They want me to believe that I’ve been unconscious for seven days, inducing an indescribable fear. The presence of several disoriented people deepens this fear, making me wonder if anything was done to me during these seven days, and if I might end up like them. The operating table and the dizziness from anesthesia only exacerbate this. Under these conditions, I’d most likely be eager to open that door, no matter what it took.”
Mo Qi pondered for a moment and realized the purpose of this setup: it was meant to test the player’s abilities!
If it weren’t for knowing Xiang Zhuo, Mo Qi might not have figured this out.
If Mo Qi didn’t recognize any of the eight people, he might have instinctively assumed they were ordinary people. With the arrogance of a player, he would try to use cards and abilities to open the door. But with Xiang Zhuo among them, who had accumulated a significant number of points from two SSR-level tasks and had countless cards, and who had ended up in this state, Mo Qi had to reassess the situation.
Dr. Duan’s ability to control Xiang Zhuo indicated that he must know about the existence of players and have methods to handle them. Until the critical moment arrived, Mo Qi needed to be cautious.
Mo Qi continued, “It’s impossible that I’ve been unconscious for seven days. I’d estimate the actual unconscious time to be two to three hours. What do you think?”
A voice came from behind the mirror, “How did you figure that out?”
Mo Qi spoke to the mirror, “Let’s set aside the physiological symptoms for now, as they can be explained by neurological drugs. However, human physical signs don’t lie. Over seven days, the body would undergo changes that are hard to hide, such as hair and nail growth. You specifically chose a seven-day period because the changes in hair and nail length over this time are not too noticeable. If it were two weeks to a month, it would be easier to reveal your deception. Luckily for me, I had my nails trimmed just yesterday.”
People who have recently trimmed their nails very short often experience a brief discomfort at the fingertips due to the loss of protection provided by the nails. This discomfort fades within a day or two as the nails grow back. The fact that Mo Qi still felt discomfort at his fingertips was strong evidence of his correct estimation.
After a long silence from behind the mirror, Mo Qi waited, and then the door behind the curtain opened. Dr. Duan walked in.
Mo Qi was surprised by his decision to appear: “I thought you would stay hidden in the shadows.”
“If hiding in the shadows could make you reveal a flaw, I would certainly do so. Unfortunately, you remain calm no matter the situation,” Dr. Duan sighed.
He approached Mo Qi, his imposing height of nearly 1.9 meters adding to the pressure. Mo Qi said, “You’re clearly not a legitimate psychologist. A psychologist should be neutral and calm, avoiding creating a sense of threat for the patient. This helps the patient lower their defenses and share their condition. But your presence is too overwhelming; even normal people would be on guard, let alone patients.”
“Being tall isn’t my fault,” Dr. Duan said, stepping closer.
Mo Qi maintained his composure and didn’t retreat. Instead, he responded, “Height doesn’t matter. What’s important is the impression you give. You’re clearly trying to project an intimidating presence to assert dominance.”
Normal people are easily influenced by such imposing figures, let alone those seeking help.
Dr. Duan asked, “So why aren’t you afraid of me? I’ve done so much to break through your psychological defenses. How can you remain so calm?”
Dr. Duan’s eyes revealed a hint of confusion. It was then that Mo Qi noticed that his irises were not entirely black but had an eerie hint of purple.
Mo Qi checked again, confirming that Dr. Duan wasn’t wearing colored contacts; this was his natural eye color.
Just that one look caused Mo Qi to unconsciously use his “Gaze” ability. He momentarily snapped out of it, realizing that the “Gaze” wasn’t something he had consciously employed but was used instinctively.
In that brief moment, Mo Qi was captivated by the mysterious dark purple eyes, falling into their allure.
Despite being affected by the “Gaze,” Dr. Duan showed no sign of being deeply moved. He continued to speak in his usual scrutinizing tone, “Do you like my eye color?”
He was someone with a strong control over his inner feelings. Even under the influence of the “Gaze,” he could maintain his composure and remain unflinching on the outside.
Mo Qi shook his head, “No, it’s just that I’ve never seen anything like it before, so I’m curious.”
Dr. Duan replied, “I have a hunch that you’re similar to them, so I placed you all together to see if anything unusual would happen. Unfortunately, you didn’t do anything.”
Mo Qi was quite surprised. “They’re all the same type of person?”
If Xiang Zhuo is a player, then according to Dr. Duan, all eight of these people must be players.
There are only thirty players in total, with seven tasks, meaning each task involves four to five players. Yet, the Purple Moon Clinic has at least eight players!
Even in the SSR-level tasks Mo Qi had participated in, there were only five to seven players.
Could it be that an SR-level task would require so many players?
What was even more frightening was that Dr. Duan had managed to easily subdue all these players and put them in their current state.
“If you’re referring to people who can use interesting items through their phones and exhibit abilities beyond common sense, then yes, they are all like that,” Dr. Duan confirmed Mo Qi’s suspicions.
Mo Qi moved his lips but remained silent. This Dr. Duan was even more formidable than he had imagined. It was no wonder that Rong Feng, the small boss created by *The Mirror*, was under his control and obeyed his orders without question.
“From your expression, it’s clear you know someone with such power, and you must be one of them yourself,” Dr. Duan said. “Most of them become very anxious when I take away their phones, but this person seems unaffected.”
Dr. Duan pointed at Xiang Zhuo.
Mo Qi understood the situation in his mind.
The exchange between Intelligent Mode and Free Switching Mode requires points. Not all players have 1000 points to switch freely. If the task doesn’t start with Intelligent Mode, losing the phone makes one very passive, unable to use cards and only able to use skills.
From Qin Xunfeng’s performance, it seems that players with 1000 points are not very common. Most players avoid SSR-level tasks, preferring R-level or SR-level tasks. An SR-level task’s total points are only 1000, with several players’ points also required. Each task consumes cards, making it difficult to accumulate 1000 points.
Xiang Zhuo, on the other hand, has points on hand. As long as he hasn’t spent them all on drawing cards, he still has some left.
Dr. Duan observed Mo Qi’s subtle expressions. Even though Mo Qi was good at hiding his feelings, Dr. Duan noticed, “You know this patient named Xiang Zhuo.”
Mo Qi looked directly at Dr. Duan and said, “There’s no need for you to test me further. Even if you were to kill all of them, it would not affect me in the slightest.”
Unexpectedly, Dr. Duan said, “By saying that, you’ve revealed your weakness. The more you care, the more you need to act like you don’t, isn’t that right?”
Mo Qi remained silent and continued to watch Dr. Duan quietly.
Dr. Duan raised his hand to cover his eyes and whispered in Mo Qi’s ear, “Don’t try to control me with your so-called magical ability.”
Mo Qi had indeed used “Gaze.” According to logic, Dr. Duan should have been deeply enamored by now. Unfortunately, the man was too reserved, showing no signs of affection at all. Either he was incredibly rational and could suppress his feelings, or he naturally had very little capacity for affection—where an ordinary person might display 80 units of love, he seemed to have only 10.
No matter the scenario, it’s a troubling situation. “Gaze” can only make someone fall in love with Mo Qi but doesn’t control them. True control requires “Resonance,” but “Resonance” needs to be based on love and a willingness to let Mo Qi understand them. Dr. Duan’s psychological defenses are too profound for Mo Qi to achieve “Resonance.”
Fortunately, he still has his cards. Mo Qi’s fingers twitched slightly, ready to summon a card. Just then, Dr. Duan whispered in his ear, “But don’t worry, I won’t kill anyone.”
With Dr. Duan covering his eyes, Mo Qi couldn’t see his expression and couldn’t judge the truth of his words based solely on his voice.
“But if they end up killing each other or choose to end their own lives, that’s not my responsibility,” Dr. Duan added.
“Are you trying to use this situation to make me do something?” Mo Qi said calmly. “You’re right, I care about their lives, but that’s not the most important thing to me. If I can’t save them, I might feel regret and pain, but I won’t be controlled by you.”
“I just hope you answer a few questions honestly. Of course, there’s a condition: I need to cover those eyes of yours that are so easily beguiling,” Dr. Duan said.
This person was truly terrifying. He understood people so well that he saw immediately that the most crucial aspect of Mo Qi’s ability was his “gaze.” Once his eyes were covered, it would seal away most of Mo Qi’s power.
There seemed to be no room for resistance at the moment. Mo Qi obediently took the blindfold Dr. Duan offered and placed it over his eyes.
“This isn’t the place for a conversation. There are some unpleasant individuals here. Let’s go to my office,” Dr. Duan said.
He led Mo Qi down a path. Mo Qi made an effort to remember the route by relying on his hearing and sense of direction, intending to return to this room to rescue the others once he escaped. However, Dr. Duan occasionally made sounds to interfere with his memory, causing Mo Qi to remember some parts of the route less clearly.
Mo Qi followed Dr. Duan into a warm room, where he could faintly smell the fragrance of flowers and hear the distant chirping of birds.
Dr. Duan sat opposite Mo Qi, his leg resting against Mo Qi’s. His hand gently caressed Mo Qi’s face, moving slowly down to finally rest on his carotid artery.
“Why aren’t you afraid?” Dr. Duan asked with interest. “You fainted in an unfamiliar and suspicious place, showed no fear while unconscious, and no panic upon waking. Even with your eyes covered, you allowed a dangerous person to handle you. Why is that? You didn’t even check for injuries after waking up. What if there were wounds? What if I removed one of your organs?”
Under the Charming Aura, the number of people who would harm him was very few. Mo Qi’s heartbeat was calm and steady, and he softly replied, “Because I’m quite certain that I’m unlikely to be harmed after fainting.”
“You clearly prefer to manipulate people’s minds rather than harm their bodies, so I’m not worried about my physical condition. And…” Mo Qi suddenly smiled, “If I wake up and find some critical injuries on my body, preferably fatal ones, I might be even happier.”
“Why is that?” Dr. Duan’s voice finally showed some confusion.
Mo Qi lifted his hand, placing his palm over the hand Dr. Duan used to cover his carotid artery, his fingertips pressing against Dr. Duan’s pulse, and whispered, “Before you answer that question, I have one for you. I hope you can answer honestly. Have you ever harbored the intent to kill me? Especially when I saw your dark purple eyes just now.”
Dr. Duan fell silent. Mo Qi couldn’t hear any sound, but his fingertips clearly felt Dr. Duan’s heartbeat quickening.
“Have you?” Mo Qi said.
Dr. Duan still refused to answer, but his heart rate became even more erratic.
Mo Qi continued, “Did the intent to kill arise from the moment you first saw me, reaching its peak when I used ‘Gaze’ on you?”
After asking this, Mo Qi ceased questioning and quietly awaited Dr. Duan’s response.
After a long pause, Dr. Duan slowly spoke, “Yes.”
Mo Qi smiled gently.