Aurum Alley.
The night market wasn't particularly crowded.
The orange lights and sparse silhouettes painted a tranquil and leisurely atmosphere over the street.
At the end of the alley.
Two women appeared.
Despite deliberately toning down their cold demeanor, they still exuded an air of aloofness.
Even the streetlights seemed unable to illuminate the darkness surrounding them.
"Phew..."
The taller woman gently brushed her long, flowing hair.
A relaxed smile appeared on her pale face.
"Really, it's hard to believe."
"Sister, you made a great contribution this time in capturing the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus. The Ten-Lords Commission actually granted us seven days of return to the living world."
"Ah... In the past, every time we detained a criminal, we were allowed half a day in the living world, and I thought that was the most beautiful time in the world."
"But this time, we have plenty of time to enjoy it all."
"Doing nothing... Let those mountains of sin records in the Karma Hall roll away."
"This is absolutely the best time of my life!"
Hanya's smile was so wide it nearly reached her ears.
Passersby who saw this scene.
Quickly made a detour.
Thinking they had encountered a ghost.
Xueyi spoke with a calm expression, "That's because we planned ahead based on the storyline of Honkai: Star Rail, which is why we achieved such a remarkable success this time."
"Such an opportunity is once in a lifetime, so enjoy it."
After saying this.
Xueyi seemed to realize she had been a bit too stern.
Her expression softened slightly.
"Where should we start exploring? Ah... even just standing here doing nothing feels so wonderful."
Hanya tried to control her excited expression.
But no matter what, she couldn't suppress her smile.
Making her expression look rather twisted.
A little boy holding skewers passed by and instinctively glanced at Hanya.
"A ghost!!!"
He screamed, throwing all the skewers in his hand.
And ran off without looking back.
Xueyi blinked and said, "If you keep standing here, Aurum Alley will soon have a new urban legend."
Hanya took a deep breath.
And nodded.
Just as she was about to turn and leave, suddenly, both their Jade Abacuses received a message from the Ten-Lords Commission.
[Urgent Message: Xueyi, Hanya, and Huohuo, the three judges, are to suspend all current tasks and immediately focus on the game storyline of Honkai: Star Rail. In the corresponding quest of [Sojourners' Ghastly Reverie], there is a storyline involving the three of you...]
[...Actively monitor the subsequent developments of this storyline and respond flexibly...]
[This period is considered an urgent task and will not count against your return-to-life time.]
"A quest involving all three of us at the same time..." Xueyi said thoughtfully.
"It seems we'll have to temporarily get back to work."
"No problem, sister."
Hanya nodded seriously.
But in reality.
She was nearly ecstatic!
Originally, she had planned to spend a few days of her seven-day return-to-life holiday experiencing the content of Honkai: Star Rail.
And now.
A storyline involving her and her sister had just appeared.
This was like a paid vacation!
Hanya felt she hadn't been this happy in a long time.
The accumulated fatigue of many years seemed to vanish in an instant.
Suddenly.
She felt someone bump into her leg.
"Ouch..."
Hanya looked down.
And exclaimed in surprise, "Huohuo?"
Huohuo rubbed her face and said timidly, "Lady Hanya, Lady Xueyi..."
"The Ten-Lords Commission has instructed us to focus on the quest in Honkai: Star Rail—[Sojourners' Ghastly Reverie]."
"I was wondering... if we could find a bright place to watch it together...?"
"Of course," Xueyi replied.
Meanwhile, [Tail] grumbled in Huohuo's ear, "Why bother with the two of them?"
"I already told you, this [Sojourners' Ghastly Reverie] quest sounds like a bunch of nonsense. It's not even as good as the horror comedies you watch!"
Huohuo turned around and argued, "No, that's not true!"
"The game developed by Yu Ling... Honkai: Star Rail is amazing! The Ten-Lords Commission has already acknowledged its importance..."
[Tail] was also extremely indignant, saying, "Those old fogeys don't know a damn thing! If they've got the guts, let me make an appearance in this mission too!"
"If I reveal my identity, I'll absolutely scare the living daylights out of those so-called players!"
"Let's go," Xueyi uttered two words.
The three of them headed toward a nearby empty courtyard.
Hanya couldn't wait any longer and activated the Jade Abacus.
She opened Little Gui's live stream.
She knew.
The live stream was currently broadcasting the [Sojourners' Ghastly Reverie] storyline.
At that moment.
Little Gui was reading the mission description on the interface.
["You've met Guinaifen, and she's just as beautiful in person as she is online… Wait, I'm getting off track. The girl is desperately trying to convince you that she's just experienced a bizarre and supernatural encounter, even shoving the video of it in your face."]
["Although these days, even videos can't be trusted, her panicked tone and unmanaged expression do suggest that something terrifying has happened in that place called Fyxestroll Garden… Heh, let the Nameless uncover the secrets hidden behind it all! Set off, and explore the spirits of Fyxestroll Garden!"]
["At this moment, you won't understand—curiosity is the beginning of all horror stories—"]
"Hahaha..."
"Such a way with words!"
"This mission is getting more and more interesting."
"It really reminds me of a horror movie I watched before!"
[New Map: Fyxestroll Garden, Unlocked]
After arriving at the destination.
I took a stroll around the area first.
Deserted corridors, inexplicably glowing pavilions, and occasional flickering will-o'-the-wisps...
An eerie atmosphere enveloped me.
It was a stark contrast to the bustling and lively Exalting Sanctum just moments ago!
Guinaifen couldn't help but comment, "This is quite a nice garden."
"Everything is good."
"Except it's not a pleasant place to wander around."
The viewers in the live stream resonated deeply!
...
"Good heavens! Is there really such a place on Luofu?"
"Isn't this environment way too underworld-like!?"
"Map design can be grounded, but it shouldn't be hellish."
"Are there any friends who have actually been to Fyxestroll Garden in real life? Can someone explain if it's really this hellish?"
"I've been there once. It was indeed creepy, but not as creepy as the map suggests. At least there weren't so many will-o'-the-wisps and such."
...
Continuing to explore forward.
Along the way.
The in-game character dutifully narrated the history of Fyxestroll Garden's abandonment, while also capturing plenty of spine-chilling footage.
"Hmm, the atmosphere here is terrifying. Perfect for recording some material, hehe."
"Yikes... Will this photo pass the review if I use it as the video thumbnail?"
"Shh, family, follow my lead, keep your steps light and slow..."
Guinaifen couldn't help but applaud herself.
She proudly said, "Family, did you see that? This is what we call professionalism!"
"To resist the urge to bolt in such a creepy place and keep shooting like a reporter covering a murder case."
"It's not easy for us online streamers to make a living."
Exploring like this.
Upon arriving at a deserted courtyard.
Suddenly, four Netherworld Guards appeared from behind!
"Halt!"
"Who are you, and why are you here? Arrest them immediately!"
"F-family, let me explain!"
The in-game Guinaifen still wanted to make excuses.
But the next second.
The screen shattered.
[Entering Battle]
"Suspicious individuals trespassing into forbidden grounds, arrest first, interrogate later, no exceptions."
"Forbidden grounds? Since when did Fyxestroll Garden become your property?"
These Netherworld Guards are new monsters.
But they don't have any special mechanics.
The [Aurumaton Spectral Envoy] that appears in the second round is more formidable.
Not only is it fast and deals high damage, but it can also stun several teammates at once.
Little Gui's Luocha's pendant was almost thrown until it smoked.
Finally, the [Aurumaton Spectral Envoy] was brought down to below half health.
At that moment.
The battle suddenly stopped.
A voice, slightly hoarse and cold, rang out, "Stand down, Netherworld Guards. These two mean no harm."
"Yes, Judge."
Guinaifen whispered to Stelle, "Family, did you see that? This sister has a pale complexion and a distant gaze... Is she human or a ghost?"
The woman replied, "Once you enter the Ten-Lords Commission, you may as well consider me a dead person. My codename is Hanya, a Judge in charge of the last of the four duties: arrest, detain, punish, and interrogate. Therefore, I am not entirely unaware of you two."
Hanya, Xueyi, and Huohuo appeared in sight.
The barrage of comments instantly flooded in!
...
"This sister is also a Judge?"
"Such heavy dark circles under her eyes."
"Is Hanya a living person or a mechanical puppet? My friend has been dead for three days and isn't as pale as her!"
"Is this Huohuo also a judge? Why does she seem even more nervous than Little Gui?"
"I have a feeling that these three judges might all end up in the gacha pool! And they'll all be five-star characters!"