With a sharp cry, the instant his eyes snapped open, Lin Luo sprang upright reflexively. Sweating profusely, he gazed at the familiar surroundings and finally realized he had returned from that illusion.

However, even though his body had returned, his thoughts remained trapped within the illusion... Why did he see that illusion? What connection did that illusion have to him? And who exactly were that boy and girl? What was that final surge of sorrow and fear he had felt?

Lin Luo knew nothing of these questions, not even a single clue to pursue them.

The only thing he knew was the last line he had heard in the illusion... Everything starts now!

He let out a heavy breath, deciding to put the matter aside for the moment. He looked toward the four women beside him and saw they too were lying flat on the ground, eyes closed, occasionally frowning. Lin Luo guessed they had also been pulled into the illusion, but he didn't know if they had seen the same things he had.

Since he had managed to emerge from the illusion unscathed, they should be fine too. Thus, Lin Luo had no immediate thought of waking them. Instead, he got up and walked toward the mirror... Everything they were currently experiencing stemmed from this mirror. It controlled their bodies and dragged them into illusions. This power was terrifying. He truly didn't know what might happen next.

More importantly, this mirror, which rendered them completely helpless, was merely a projection. If the projection held such terrifying power, how formidable must its true form be... Even Lin Luo dared not imagine.

In his past experiences, although external artifacts could be powerful, they had never played a decisive, crucial role. Ultimately, what determined life or death was their own strength. But now, this mirror had completely shattered that perception for him.

If the World Heart and the Heart Codex counted as external objects, then he even had reason to suspect... that the strength of this mirror might not be inferior to the World Heart or the Heart Codex!

Yet, as he looked into the mirror, he discovered a clear crack appearing on its surface—the very thing that had toyed with them to the brink of death.

It couldn't hold?

Even for Lin Luo, this was a huge shock. He never expected such a powerful mirror to show signs of shattering. And they hadn't done anything to it.

Had using its ability twice in quick succession depleted its power?

Lin Luo pondered secretly. After all, it was just a projection; this possibility existed.

Then, before he could judge the credibility of this guess, as Aelgith woke up behind him, the mirror let out another kacha, cracking further. Then it was Shiki Ryougi and Aoko Aozaki. After the two of them awoke, four cracks had already appeared on the mirror's surface.

Finally, when Arcueid also awoke, the mirror seemed to be completely overwhelmed. With a final kacha, it shattered entirely into a pile of fragments and then vanished completely.

"..." Lin Luo stared blankly at the scene, utterly speechless. He had considered many ways to shatter this mirror: smashing it directly, using Rule power to strike it, even dripping blood to claim ownership... He had even entertained the incredible idea of finding an eater to consume it. But he never imagined that the mirror would be shattered awake by them!

Awake-shattered—it was a novel term, or perhaps a misnomer. If spoken aloud, only he would grasp its meaning, but that was precisely what happened. The mirror truly broke as they awoke. What else could it be called?

After the mirror shattered, Lin Luo, after a brief moment of stunned silence, snapped back to reality and immediately began investigating... The result confirmed his initial prediction: his formation array had been altered because of this mirror’s existence, and now that the mirror was gone, the array was completely unaffected.

But this only deepened Lin Luo's confusion.

The mirror's master had gone to such elaborate lengths to project the mirror into his formation array... Regardless of how strong the owner was, Lin Luo didn't believe this undertaking was simple. He had assumed the goal was to deal with him, but in reality, not only had he suffered no harm, but he had actually gained some benefits.

So, what was the mirror master's true objective? Was it just a joke, or was it intended to show him that illusion, or perhaps... had they truly defeated this mirror?

"Hey."

As Lin Luo was contemplating this, he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Instinctively turning around, he saw a fist the size of a sandbag hurtling toward him, followed by... Bang!

The sandbag-sized fist struck Lin Luo’s face, instantly causing a nosebleed that sprayed across his vision. Looking closely, he saw Aoko Aozaki standing before him, hands on her hips like a tigress... and she was nude.

It wasn't just her. Because many abilities were restricted within this array—storage space, for instance, was completely inaccessible—and during the preceding humiliating ordeal, they had all been tearing at each other, resulting in the clothes they wore being shredded into fragments, offering no coverage whatsoever. Therefore, at this moment, all of them stood with their bodies bare, truly exposed to one another.

Despite taking a punch, Lin Luo dared not lose his temper. After all, whatever happened previously, any of the women would be angry, let alone Aoko, whose rage was entirely justified. If he fought back now, it would be utterly unchivalrous.

So, Lin Luo wiped the blood from his face, put on a placating smile, and said, "Don't be angry, dear. Let’s talk this out properly. I will take responsibility, alright?"

Having experienced countless incidents, Lin Luo believed that beyond his abnormal physical prowess, his control over his state of mind had reached a god-tier level. No matter the situation, he could maintain an optimistic and positive attitude. Thus, even though the threat of the mirror hadn't completely passed, he could still manage a smile when appropriate.

While such a mentality could be called heartless, in every aspect, it was far better than being gloomy and dejected. At least as a leader, if he appeared miserable, how would those around him feel?

The evidence was clear: Lin Luo’s cheeky grin and carefree words only served to greatly fuel Aoko Aozaki’s... rage.

Her anger, already at MAX, instantly broke through its limit and climbed to another peak, making her entire being seem ready to combust. She roared, "You damned scoundrel! Who asked you to take responsibility! You did such and such to me—don't think I won't kick your balls to pieces!"

As she spoke, Aoko Aozaki violently raised her leg, aiming a heavy kick directly toward Lin Luo’s groin.

Lin Luo had no time to congratulate himself on being clairvoyant. Ever since Mikoto had once shattered his testicles, he harbored a deep psychological scar concerning such incidents. His expression changed, and he instinctively counterattacked... His left hand moved to intercept her kicking foot, blocking the attack, while his right hand reached forward to wrap around her waist. With a slight pull, he instantly spun Aoko around and embraced her tightly, simultaneously pinning her arms, holding his body in a slight arched posture that made the pair of 'rabbits' on her chest stick out prominently.

Discovering she had been caught by Lin Luo in such a position, Aoko couldn't help but grit her teeth. Especially when she felt something hard pressing against her backside, she was so filled with shame and fury that she almost wanted to drag Lin Luo down with her... This was the disgrace of a lifetime!

The other three women, seeing this scene, wisely and simultaneously averted their gaze, not daring to look.

"What do you want?" Knowing she couldn't expect help and couldn't escape Lin Luo’s clutches, Aoko Aozaki immediately gave up resisting, her face grim as she demanded coldly.

The "cooperation" from Aelgith and the other two emboldened Lin Luo. The hand that was merely resting on her waist smoothly slid lower. He leaned in, biting Aoko’s ear, and whispered, "Why don't you just give in to me?"

After speaking, he also blew a puff of air into her ear.

Aoko shuddered. Although she had long known Lin Luo’s moral integrity had deteriorated to a shocking degree, she still hadn't expected him to act so indecently toward her in public. Forcing down the unfamiliar sensation in her body, she ground out, "Dream on! I will never submit to you... Take your hand off me now."

"We’ve already done what we’ve done. What part of your body don't I know? I even know precisely where all your sensitive spots are."

"..." Tears welled up in Aoko's eyes. Even she couldn't endure such shamelessly crude talk.

"I'm not saying you have to agree right now. I know that after something like this happens, you must have some reservations about me. But time will prove that choosing me was absolutely the right decision. Calm down and think about it, how about that?"

If Lin Luo had said this to her while fully clothed, she might genuinely have considered it. But now, he was forcibly holding her down, and his fingers were probing beneath her... It was ludicrous to expect her to think seriously!

However, precisely because of this, the strange sensations coming from below completely eroded Aoko's resistance. Though not yet submitting, she had begun to compromise. "You... let go first. I... I will consider it... Uh-hmm..."

As she spoke, she inwardly cursed her own body for being so unreliable—not only was she feeling pleasure, but she was even emitting strange sounds. She suspected that if Lin Luo continued, even if he pushed her down again in front of everyone later, she might not even resist.

This... must absolutely not happen!

"You’ll really consider it?"

"I will consider it... Let go now!" Aoko was nearly in tears from desperation.

"Mm, alright then." Lin Luo nodded, finally letting go. As expected... for women who seemed tough on the surface, the most effective approach was to soften their bodies first. RQ