Three days later, at Lu Zihan's living room.
Before the Instance began, Ren Man decisively "checked" Ren Yi into Lu Zihan's house.
The orange tea on the table was steaming, and the freshly baked ladyfingers were golden and fragrant.
"Come, Xiao Yi, try these." Lu Qing handed over the cookies with a smile. "Thank you for looking after my Zihan in the previous Instance."
Lu Zihan's face turned red beside her, and he muttered, "Mom! I was the big brother among us, okay?"
"Auntie, it was actually Zihan who was looking after me," Ren Yi quickly added.
"Yes, yes, yes, my Zihan is the most capable." Lu Qing smiled and rubbed her son's head. Lu Zihan looked embarrassed, but he didn't pull away.
Lu Qing picked up her orange tea and gently blew on the steam: "You've seen the receipt. This time the situation... well, it is indeed quite special."
She took a small sip and placed the cup back on the saucer with a crisp, light clink.
"Simply put, the Alliance was a bit rushed this time. To give you little ones an extra meal, they've greatly simplified the process." Lu Qing's tone made it sound as if she were saying, "Eggs are fifty percent off at the supermarket today."
She continued in a soothing voice: "Leading a Pasture world to its end is like pushing a rock that's already hanging off a cliff; it still takes a bit of effort."
"Normally, it would require everyone to work hard on the layout and slowly loosen the foundation until it rolls down naturally. But this time, someone's rules were triggered, and the rock has already started to fall. The Calamity Countdown was already activated before your mission even began."
As she spoke, there was even a subtle hint of jealousy on Lu Qing's face.
"Someone?" Ren Yi caught Lu Qing's intentionally vague phrasing.
"Are you talking about the Calamity?" Lu Zihan's eyes lit up, and he blurted out regardless of anything: "Mom, is a Calamity coming this time? Which Calamity is it?" He was clearly very curious about these legendary existences.
Lu Qing hesitated for a moment but still explained to them.
"I'm not entirely sure, but there are only a few who are currently in the Alliance and able to be deployed," Lu Qing replied, her expression turning more serious. "Heart Fiend, Rain Man, Shadow Weaver, Enke... Enke is unlikely; it shouldn't be responsible for harvesting."
"Heart Fiend?" Ren Yi heard a familiar name and became curious. "I heard there are many Heart Fiends, so is the Calamity-rank Heart Fiend the strongest one among them?"
"Hey, hey." Lu Qing pressed her slender fingers against her temples, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"Truly the ignorance of youth. 'One among them'? When you speak their names, these entities can sense it. If they decide to slap you, your little bodies won't be able to handle it."
"They can't be that petty..." Lu Zihan covered his mouth and muttered gloomily, while Ren Yi sensibly made a zipping motion over his lips.
"Where was I?" Lu Qing glanced at them and lowered her hand.
"Uh, the countdown?" Lu Zihan had also forgotten.
"So what is our mission?" Ren Yi asked tentatively.
"Eating—oh, I mean, 'observation and practice.'" Lu Qing winked, her tone teasing. "To resist us, that world constructed a large-scale rule barrier. Previously, we would open Instances at that location and summon their Participants inside."
"You can think of it as... cutting a hole in the ice and then fishing through it. But this time, the Alliance intends to smash the ice entirely and drain the pond to catch all the fish."
"Before the net is pulled in, they're letting you little hawks down to peck at the catch first. How much you can eat depends on your own abilities."
"Sounds like a picnic," Lu Zihan chimed in.
"A picnic isn't this lavish; it's at least a deluxe buffet," Lu Qing shook her head. "In the first phase, you have to work a short-term job in this buffet restaurant, complete at least one 'work target,' and get your admission ticket. Think of it as paying a deposit before the meal."
Ren Yi nodded; this was close to his understanding. "And the second phase? After getting the ticket?"
"The second phase is free for all," Lu Qing spread her hands. "At that point, you can descend directly into the world. Before a Calamity, the world rules become more active and also more fragile."
"It will be a time-limited buffet then. You can walk around, look around, and hurry up to eat your fill. The Alliance will teleport you back at the appropriate time."
As she spoke, Lu Qing showed a look of regret and lightly licked her lips. "Sigh, the Alliance is only letting you little ones in. So stingy."
Ren Yi keenly noticed a key point: "Auntie Lu, what about the 'Auxiliary Rules'? What is the Auxiliary Rule this time? Since the Calamity has already started, why are there still Auxiliary Rules?"
Lu Qing's expression suddenly became distant. She remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking:
"That... the Auxiliary Rule is a manifestation of the Calamity. You can understand it as the 'terminal symptoms of the world' or the 'echoes before the Calamity descends,'" she said slowly.
"It is an inevitable omen before a Calamity arrives. It exists, and it will only grow more intense."
"Having you familiarize yourselves with this environment in advance is very beneficial for future Instances. As for what the Auxiliary Rule specifically is..."
She paused, her gaze drifting toward the window.
"We will only know once the Instance begins."
She stood up, her skirt cutting a sharp arc. "Alright, theory class is over. Now, let me show you the practice site—my Instance."
Lu Qing led them into the storage room. It wasn't the cluttered mess one might imagine; instead, it looked like a small private gallery, filled with various cheongsams, dresses, and wide-brimmed hats. Jewelry gleamed softly on velvet linings.
"Ahem, just a personal hobby." Lu Qing cleared her throat unnaturally and walked straight to the back, pulling aside layers of hanging garments. A dusty, intricately carved antique full-length mirror was quietly revealed.
She looked back with a smile and stepped into the mirror. The mirror surface rippled like water, swallowing her figure.
Ren Yi followed closely behind. The moment he passed through the mirror, the light and atmosphere completely changed. Ren Yi found himself standing in the second-floor corridor of a small wooden Chinese-style building. The air smelled of old books, wood, and sunlight.
In front of him was an open carved wooden door leading to a small hanging balcony. He instinctively walked out.
The afternoon sun poured down without obstruction. He held the slightly warm wooden railing and looked down.
Below him was a quiet, lush little garden. The emerald vegetable plots were as neat as a chessboard, tall trees cast deep shadows, and the branches of a mulberry tree reached up to the second-floor railing, laden with clusters of purple-red mulberries that were almost within reach.
Ren Yi had just reached out a hand.
Rustle—
A skylark suddenly burst from the mulberry leaves, flapping its wings and soaring into the sky, leaving behind only a few trembling leaves.
His gaze couldn't help but follow the soaring shadow over the courtyard wall. Outside were endless fields, rolling with emerald watermelons. Further away, intersecting waterways shimmered in the sun, dotted with occasional white walls and black-tiled roofs.
It was a pastoral scene so peaceful it felt almost frozen in time.
"Welcome to my Instance."
"'Lu Family Courtyard.'"
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