The sterile hum of the hospital corridor was suddenly broken by a sharp notification tone, slicing through the otherwise tense silence.
[10,000 IPS has been successfully.]
The nurse glanced at the screen, surprised by the generous sum. She turned toward Mana with a gentle smile.
"Oh my! Thank you so much for the donation," she said, her voice warm and sincere.
Mana merely shrugged, her expression casual.
"Oh, don't worry about it. Just take good care of the patients — it's the least I can do." She laughed lightly, brushing it off.
From across the hall, Evan and Sumei observed the exchange quietly.
"She's spending your IPs, Grandpa," Sumei teased with a smirk.
Evan shot her a dry glance.
"So? She earned it, didn't she?"
Sumei laughed.
"That's why I call you Grandpa — you're spoiling all the young girls around here."
"I'm not your grandpa, or anyone else's, for that matter," Evan replied flatly.
"Yeah, and I'm a criminal with nine murders and one robbery on my record," Sumei fired back playfully.
Evan sighed, shaking his head.
"Why are you so impossible to deal with?"
Just then, Mana chimed in from the nurse's station.
"Mr. Evan, I've already covered the old man's operation bills. He should be free to leave in a day or two."
Evan nodded approvingly.
"Good work, Mana."
The tension in the corridor softened as Evan's gaze drifted toward Aaru, who had just exited the patient's room—likely to retrieve something. Seizing the opportunity, Evan stepped inside. The old man lay on the bed, exhausted but at peace.
"Got a moment?" Evan asked quietly as he approached.
The old man simply nodded.
Evan folded his hands into his pockets, his voice calm but probing.
"Back when you were running that 2020 simulation… the scene suddenly went blank. What happened?"
The old man, Mithra, remained silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts before speaking.
"That was hell… but I needed to find the right rites. That year was perfect—almost everyone in that area was gone. It was my luck I found them."
"Found who?" Evan pressed.
"A group. Their attire was strange — almost like something out of fiction. They carried ancient artifacts. I saw one or two dropped… I can't tell if it was intentional or an accident. But I picked them up, read the inscriptions, and realized it was exactly what I'd been searching for."
"So… that's how you brought that thing into reality?" Evan asked
"Yeah. It was complicated, but I managed it. Afterward, I hid the artifact."
Evan's eyes widened. "Wait, you still have it? How? The game might let you experience the moment, but pulling an object out of virtual reality into the real world—made of past fragments—that's impossible."
Mithra nodded slowly. "I know how absurd it sounds. I don't understand it myself. But somehow, I was able to do it—as if it had already been there."
Before Evan could respond, a voice interrupted.
"Ohhh, interesting," Daemon interjected with a grin.
Evan groaned, turning to him with an exasperated sigh.
"Can you just shut up for once?"
Daemon raised his hands in mock surrender, letting his card levitate outside the room.
"I just find it fascinating — bringing a ghost through artifacts. Never knew anything like that existed near me."
"You're saying you might have trapped in that VR same way?" Evan asked sharply.
"No. I've already explained my origin. This can't be the case."
"Then what are you saying?"
"If I can get my hands on that artifact, maybe I can track down the people this old man was talking about."
Evan looked at Daemon. "If that's true, you're allowed to speak."
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean? I'm your equal, damn it!"
"Sure."
"You asshole! Just wait till the day I'm strong enough to take over your body — I'll make it mine!"
"Looking forward to that day."
Evan turned back to Mithra.
"Old man, where exactly is that artifact?"
Mithra nodded.
"It's in that same mirror world."
— Morrin Sanctuary —
Iris stood awkwardly, her torn clothes replaced by Morrin's oversized outfit, which was too short in places and too loose in others.
"Don't you have anything that won't make me look like some desperate pick-me girl?" Iris complained, tugging at the ill-fitting sleeves.
"Hey! These are perfectly fine clothes, thank you very much!" Morrin protested.
Negative, still busy repairing the old camera, let out a sigh.
"Morrin, just give her my clothes," he suggested as he unscrewed a tiny bolt, revealing delicate, hair-thin engravings beneath.
"Oh right, you have those adjustable clothes. But do you ever wash them?" Morrin teased.
"I do. Along with the triple-XL underwear you accidentally brought here."
Morrin laughed.
"Hey! That one had diamonds stitched on the stripes. You don't know how hard it was to get it—."
"Sure, sure. Now give her something before she murders you," Negative said flatly, focused on the camera.
Morrin pulled out a dark gray coat nearly as long as Iris herself.
"Here you go, Iris~"
Iris ignored the teasing and slipped on the coat, which began to adjust perfectly to her form.
"You're looking pretty good, you know that?" Morrin teased with a smirk.
"Hey, four eyes, is there a way to shut her up?" Iris asked Negative, clearly fed up with Morrin's antics.
Negative didn't even look up.
"Nope. Just adapt like you always do."
Iris sighed, puzzled by her own uncharacteristic discomfort. Just then, her bracelet lit up and spoke softly.
"Miss Vale, don't worry. You've been through a lot in a short time. Feeling stressed is normal for contract users."
Iris breathed out a relieved sigh and looked back at Morrin.
"So… what exactly is your spirit form?"
"My spirit form?" Morrin asked, flipping her hair back.
"Yeah. If I have a spirit in the form of this bracelet, then what's yours?"
"Oh! It's my tattoo."
"Huh?"
She lifted her shirt slightly to reveal a glowing succubus tattoo near her belly button.
"So what exactly is it? Just a succubus?"
"Bingo~ but not exactly a succubus."
Iris narrowed her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
Morrin smirked.
"Oh, it's more of a bloodsucker than a—"
Before she could finish, Negative threw a metal piece that lightly pinged off Morrin's head.
"It's nothing like that, Butterfly," he said without looking up.
"I was talking to you, ass!" Morrin shouted.
Iris redirected her question.
"Then what is it exactly?"
Negative sighed and finally glanced up.
"Morrin's spirit doesn't have a fixed form. It's formless. She calls it 'Nyxviel.' It can become whatever the person desires most — which also makes them vulnerable. That's why she trapped it the way she did. I assume she explained all that to you?"
Iris nodded slowly.
"Right... so how do I get stronger? You said I'm nowhere near the higher-ups in those clans or whatever."
"It's simple. Ask for more. Your spirit gives you as much power as you can handle. But the more you take, the more you lose."
Iris frowned.
"So if I use too much, I die?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?" Iris repeated, eyes wide.
"It's just an interpretation. Morrin lives normally because of how she trapped Nyxviel. But your case is different — you and your spirit are probably neutral with each other."
"So you don't really know?"
"For now, yes. But that's typical for the spirit system. Though…"
Iris perked up, sensing there was more.
"But since you're neutral, there might be exceptions."
"How so?"
"Ask your spirit, not me. A third-party opinion only matters if they understand both sides. I only know one. It's all on you and your spirit, Averice."
Iris nodded and lifted her bracelet, which flickered softly.
"Averice."
"Miss Vale?"
"You heard four eyes, right?"
"I did. And he's right — it's between you and your spirit, Miss Vale."
Iris hesitated.
"Listen… this might be asking too much—"
Before she could finish, Averice cut in as they both returned to the endless void.
"Miss Vale, your potential is vast for a human. Don't worry — you drew out this strength yourself. The time to reach your full power may be far off, but it's within your reach. When the time comes, you will grow stronger."
The darkness shattered, and Iris found herself back in the room.
"So…?" Negative asked, holding the now repaired camera.
Iris blinked, uncertain.
"…I think it's going to take some time."
Negative nodded understandingly.
"Alright. We'll just wait."
He connected the camera to a nearby screen, focusing on the feed. Morrin and Iris stood close, watching the flickering image.
"So how long has it been there?" Iris asked.
"Negative said he dropped it there six and half years ago. Time works slower there because of relativity—so it's about sixty years, I guess," Morrin responded.
"They don't age?"
"They do. Just slower."
The screen flickered to life, showing nothing but debris… until suddenly, a faint glow caught their eyes.
A box radiated with a mysterious magical aura.
"That…?" Iris whispered.
"A ghost lock of the mirror world," Negative said.
"Wait, just the lock? I remember you said locks come in pairs—with keys," Morrin paused. "Don't tell me…"
"I believe that's exactly the case. Maybe the key is out there—in our world."