【Miss Liu’s Bronze Mirror: Invalid】

【Miss Liu’s Incense Burner: Invalid】

These were items obtained from the “Women’s Wraith Skeleton” game. After that game ended, they had received the registration notice and were immediately transported here, so the items hadn’t had time to be stored in the dollhouse and were still on their persons.

Though things had been rushed, Bai Youwei was certain — the items obtained by Teacher Cheng, Tan Xiao, and Pan Xiaoxin had been valid at the time.

Because if any of them had sensed “Invalid” the instant they touched an item, they would have put it down and chosen a different reward item.

But they hadn’t done that.

Which meant the items had become invalid after they left the game.

Bai Youwei frowned and placed the container of fragrant ointment she had chosen from that game into her hand.

【Miss Liu’s Aromatic Salve: Provides a bonus effect on certain items. Must be used in conjunction with Miss Liu’s Incense Burner.】

Her item was still valid. But Tan Xiao’s and Pan Xiaoxin’s items had all become invalid — and Teacher Cheng’s pipa was probably in the same situation.

“Should we ask Teacher Cheng?” Pan Xiaoxin asked quietly.

Bai Youwei shook her head with a furrowed brow. “Opening the dollhouse here is too conspicuous. Besides, we came directly here from the game — Teacher Cheng isn’t in the dollhouse.”

Not far away, Shen Mo noticed something seemed to be wrong on their side and walked over to ask: “What’s going on?”

“Nothing serious…” Bai Youwei put away the items, feeling a little unsettled. “The items Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin got from the ‘Women’s Wraith Skeleton’ game have become invalid.”

They had thought they’d struck it big — and it turned out to be nothing at all.

It felt like being played for a fool.

Thinking back on how triumphant she had been at the time made it all the more galling…

Shen Mo picked up the bronze mirror and examined it. He said: “After all, Tan Xiao and Xiaoxin didn’t directly participate in the game. It seems players who joined midway are considered invalid by the system’s judgment — so they can’t receive any rewards.”

He paused, then said thoughtfully: “If they’re considered invalid… but there’s no restriction on entering the game either, then maybe there’s also no restriction on leaving? Next time, look for an opportunity — try to see if it’s possible to have everyone exit the game and then go back in.”

Bai Youwei followed his line of reasoning and felt a sudden sense of clarity.

“Right… players inside a game are forbidden from leaving the instance. But if they’re invalid players that the game system doesn’t recognize, what reason would the system have to stop them from leaving?”

If that could be properly exploited, wouldn’t that essentially be the equivalent of having several invisible helpers inside every game from now on?

It truly bore out that old saying — when God closes a door for you, He will always open a window!

Bai Youwei’s mood was completely lifted by Shen Mo’s words!

Her cloudy skies had turned sunny. Smiling, she asked him: “How are things going on your end?”

“I’ve recruited five Subjects.” Shen Mo glanced over toward his subordinates and said mildly, “Fang Yu and Yu Chaohui, plus three others who were on their own. Had a brief talk with them — there shouldn’t be any issues.”

Shouldn’t be any issues meant: those three solo players were genuinely on their own, not some hidden agents or spies with ulterior motives.

It wasn’t surprising that lone players would seek out Shen Mo. In a setting like this where nobody knew anybody, if you saw two people in combat uniforms deferring to Shen Mo without question, you would instinctively feel that Shen Mo was trustworthy.

When Subjects looked to pledge themselves to a King, they naturally gravitated toward someone who felt reliable.

On the other side, Yan Qingwen also appeared to have made some headway, and returned leading several people back.

With over two hundred people in the room, the large clusters organized by ethnicity gradually fragmented and refined into smaller and smaller groups.

Every single person, in the midst of this tension, was making their preparations.

Bai Youwei swept a glance across the room, and her gaze landed on Fu Miaoxue in the corner.

She was still standing there, alone.