Chapter 2322: Chapter 2323: A Chance Encounter

The memory-filled Corridor of Mirrors left Qi Chen and Dou Yanlan deeply moved. They hadn’t expected something like this in the Maze of Mirrors. Seeing the cityscapes from their memories, both Qi Chen and Dou Yanlan couldn’t help but sigh at the big changes in Maomu City.

Exiting this corridor, they found themselves in another section of the mirror maze. However, Veronia and the others could sense that they had returned to the real world.

This mirror maze wasn’t particularly large, and due to the presence of other tourists, the infinite mirror images appeared quite chaotic.

"Tsk, just when we’re about to leave, this happens again. Oh well, it’s fine, I guess."

Rubbing his eyes, Feng Yuan muttered to himself. The chaotic infinite mirror images didn’t sit well with him, but he could accept it. Although this infinite mirror made it hard for them to see the way, at least they had Qi Chen.

Due to the presence of other tourists, their progress was significantly slowed. They couldn’t tell whether the people in front of them were real or just reflections.

Finally managing to get out of the maze, Feng Yuan rubbed his eyes and said,

"Honestly, I didn’t expect them to give us another surprise at the exit."

"Hehe, I wonder if our custom figurines are ready yet～"

Seeing the souvenir shop not far away, Feng Yuan smiled, anticipating the figurines. Although theoretically, the preview seen in the Data Domain should match the actual product, he wasn’t entirely sure.

The final result did not disappoint Feng Yuan. The finished product had even more intricate details than what was shown in the Data Domain. Feng Yuan was certain that such a figurine was certainly not cheap.

"Do they really give this away for free without incurring a loss? Given the craftsmanship, I’m sure the labor costs aren’t low, right?"

Feng Yuan curiously asked the attendant, who looked at Feng Yuan with a smile of surprise and said,

"Of course not, there aren’t many who can pass the bonus challenge. Moreover, these prizes are provided by Maomu City; we’re simply the distribution platform."

"Look, here’s the explanation."

Pointing to the certificate placed together with the figurine, the attendant spoke with a hint of envy. They knew about the bonus challenge, and as long as it wasn’t during work hours, they could attempt it too.

Unfortunately, even with knowledge of the bonus challenge, passing it wasn’t easy. After all, not everyone could think of clever tricks, or even if they could, not having the corresponding Spirit Beast made it meaningless.

Whether it’s a Time Series Spirit Beast or other special ones, they’re not easy to come by.

So even if they were envious, they could only watch others receive their souvenirs, getting a momentary thrill by watching them claim their prize.

"The craftsmanship is exquisite; it must be the work of a master. This..."

Dou Yanlan looked at the figurines in surprise. She hadn’t anticipated that an entertainment project like the Maze of Mirrors would give away such high-value items as free souvenirs.

"As long as others are happy, what can we say? We are the ones benefitting from it～"

Feng Yuan wasn’t inclined to delve deeper. Although it was likely some policy of Maomu City, he couldn’t be bothered about what their real intent was.

The unexpectedly exquisite souvenirs not only amazed Feng Yuan and the others but also moved those tourists who happened to see them. Unfortunately, these were prize challenge rewards, and no matter how much they were willing to pay, they couldn’t buy them.

The figurine excellently captured Feng Yuan’s and the others’ likeness and demeanor, even down to the feathers on Xiao Ji and the fluffy fur of the Fluffy Fire Wolfhound being reproduced to the greatest extent.

The exquisite figurines made Xiao Ji hesitate to use its spiritual power to hold it, fearing it might accidentally drop and break it.

Feng Yuan, however, didn’t worry much. He casually stored the figurines in his space equipment, not afraid of damage, since it wasn’t made of special materials. If any problem arose, Agunas could just restore it with time.

"Just store it away; if it gets damaged, a time restoration can repair it, no worries."

Seeing Qi Chen and the others being so careful, Feng Yuan couldn’t help but comment. To him, there was no need to be so cautious with these items.

Hearing Feng Yuan’s words, Qi Chen and Dou Yanlan paused. Although still careful, they weren’t as anxious about accidentally breaking the figurine as they were before.

Compared to Feng Yuan’s figurines, theirs seemed more fragile, given the extensive use of mirrors and glass. The oppressive feel of the gathering storm clouds was perfectly recreated.

Even their emotions battling against the storm clouds were expressed through the movements and expressions, making these more than mere souvenirs but high-value works of art.

Other tourists watched enviously as Feng Yuan and the others put away these figurines. Even though they wanted to purchase on order, the attendant said it was completely unfeasible – those items could only be earned by completing the bonus challenge.

Moreover, to prevent profiteering, there was a special rule stating that only participants who hadn’t previously received a bonus challenge prize could receive a medal after clearing it.

Otherwise, one could try to pay Feng Yuan to help them through the bonus challenge.

Though no one knew how difficult the bonus challenge actually was, the exquisite prizes made many tourists secretly decide to try the bonus challenge themselves later!

Feng Yuan had no idea what those tourists were thinking, and even if he did, he wouldn’t have persuaded them otherwise. The bonus challenge’s mirror image wasn’t easy to deal with. It could be said that had it been anyone other than Feng Yuan, it wouldn’t have been so easy to overcome.

"Yo, Hongzhi～ You guys are here to have fun too～"

Leaving the Maze of Mirrors, Feng Yuan planned to see what other fun things there were nearby when he spotted Yang Hongzhi strolling with Najia.

Hearing someone call his name, Yang Hongzhi turned around and, a bit surprised to see it was Feng Yuan, said,

"You guys, here for some fun today?"

"What else? Could something happen here, perhaps?"

Looking at Yang Hongzhi quizzically, Feng Yuan wondered aloud. With a smile, Yang Hongzhi said,

"Not really, just a bit surprised. But it’s nice to come out and have fun..."

"By the way, have you been to the Maze of Mirrors? I heard there are special prizes there, said to be surprises prepared by Maomu City for our local high-potential Beastmasters. But nobody knows what they are."

Yang Hongzhi had only heard about it and hadn’t been to the Maze of Mirrors yet, so he wasn’t aware of its mysterious surprises.

"Hehe～ it’s these, custom figurines～"

Taking out a figurine from his backpack, Feng Yuan said proudly. Seeing the figurine, Yang Hongzhi was momentarily taken aback; he hadn’t expected it to be something like that.

"I thought they’d reward special Spiritual Medicine and Materials. But these are beautiful."

"They must be the work of a master. In a way, it really is a surprise. Aren’t you tempted to get one too? Everyone gets a customized one of these～"

"And if you’re looking to make some pocket money, before tackling the bonus challenge, you can even take up a run-carrying team～"

Grinning, Feng Yuan briefly introduced the Maze of Mirrors. He wasn’t worried at all about Yang Hongzhi failing it. Come on, Najia’s presence isn’t something the Maze of Mirrors can replicate.

Even if the Data Domain can replicate Divine Beasts within its territory, that authority isn’t something the Maze of Mirrors could acquire.

After all, mishandling it could provoke the hostility of a Divine Beast, and department managing the Data City wouldn’t dare take it lightly.

Besides, there were only two Divine Pact Makers in Maomu City, so they had no reason to target these two individuals.

No kidding, neither Feng Yuan nor Yang Hongzhi were to be trifled with. Although Feng Yuan technically doesn’t count as a Divine Pact Maker, the number of Divine Beasts around him far exceeds that of an average one.

Not to mention, the rules of the Data Domain may not be able to restrict Feng Yuan, so they wouldn’t consider imposing restrictions on Divine Beasts because it’s unnecessary.

Doing so at best might cause Feng Yuan and Yang Hongzhi some minor troubles, but why bother?

"Run-carrying team... that doesn’t sound good, but hearing you talk about it, the Maze of Mirrors seems quite interesting. Maybe, I can let Xiao Hei and the others give it a try."

Yang Hongzhi, intrigued by the mention of mirror battles, was interested. While the Data Domain offered rich battle simulations, the options available to the public weren’t many, and mirrors battles weren’t available in typical battle simulations.

"I’ll go check it out first. It looks like they’re holding a Sky Surfing competition over there. You... might want to take a look."

Yang Hongzhi said, glancing at Xiao Ji and bidding farewell to Feng Yuan. Patting Xiao Ji’s head, Feng Yuan grinned and said,

"Sky Surfing, seems pretty interesting."

The Fluffy Fire Wolfhound tucked its tail and whimpered softly, as it disliked water-related recreational activities.