"How long are you going to keep me locked up?!"
This frantic voice came from a bouncing little point of light.
It was the Spirit named 'Xingfu'.
That day, at Xingfu residential area.
It took advantage of Jiang Lin's inattention and gradually infected his dispersed mental energy.
Then, at the moment Jiang Lin prepared to take it back and let down his guard, it secretly slipped into his mind.
Originally, it intended to completely infect him.
As soon as it entered, it found a path before it.
High walls stood on both sides of the path, and at the end was a fork, leading to an unknown destination.
This scene was different from anything it had seen before.
Flying forward, it reached the fork.
It looked around and chose the left path.
After flying for a while, another three-way intersection appeared.
This time, it flew towards the middle.
As it flew, it went up a staircase and down a slide.
After an unknown amount of time, it could go no further.
It had reached a dead end.
"???"
It retraced its steps and, at a three-way intersection, chose to go right.
It passed through a doorway, jumped over two springboards, and then traversed a passage...
Ahead, it became a dead end again.
By this point, its remaining spiritual consciousness finally realized the problem.
—This, this is a damn maze?!
Why would this person's mind be a maze?!
This is not right!
It had entered so many people's minds, and this had never happened before.
'Xingfu' refused to believe it, quickly retreated, and chose different paths.
This way,
That way,
The middle,
It flew through every passable path!
Thus, while Jiang Lin was shopping in the underworld, listening to stories in teahouses, and dining in restaurants.
'Xingfu' was going up and down, left and right in the maze.
Sometimes emerging from a passage, sometimes sliding down a chute.
Sometimes going back and forth at three-way junctions...
Its running figure could be seen everywhere.
At first, it could remember all the routes it had taken, but as time passed, it discovered...
This maze was actually changing!
"Could it be alive?!"
It was only after discovering this fact that it was truly defeated.
Thinking of itself as a dignified Spirit,
Having existed and circulated in the world for centuries since its birth.
Even though it had collapsed and only had residual power, it was still very formidable, wasn't it?!
Now, it was trapped in such a maze.
Unable to get out, unable to cause trouble.
"Did you do something?"
It suddenly realized that in this person's mind... there was a trap!
On that day at Xingfu residential area, wasn't the trap already dug, waiting for it to jump in?
Thinking of this, everything became clear!
"What do you want to do?"
However, no matter how it questioned, no one responded.
In the vast maze, only its own voice echoed.
Empty, lonely, and desolate.
From initial suspicion, to being hit hard,
Then recognizing the reality, and finally escalating into frenzy...
And during this time, what was Jiang Lin doing?
Renting a house in the human world, shopping, cooking, making human friends.
He even completed a message in a bottle quest.
...
At this moment, hearing 'Xingfu's' frantic question.
Jiang Lin replied with a good mood, "Shall I come after my vacation ends?"
This mental maze was a new ability he gained after advancing to the Underworld Emissary realm.
—The ability to create multiple exclusive spaces anywhere.
Whether it's inside the body, in the air, underground...
Anywhere within reach can unfold a space similar to a ghost domain.
But with stronger controllability and greater domain power.
It can be used for offense or defense, and more importantly, to achieve unexpected effects.
For example, this '[Mini Maze]' was specially constructed by him.
Or,
He could directly construct a karst space, a swamp space, or a space full of mechanisms.
After creating them, he would compress them into a mini form.
When fighting, he could throw a part of it out, turning it into an area-of-effect weapon.
He could also keep a part of it hidden within his body for defense.
Whether it was a mental attack or a ghostly energy attack.
If the attack happened to hit the place where he hid the '[Mini Space]', it could trap and neutralize the opponent's attack.
Of course, the more complex the space, the more complex its construction.
His construction of the '[Mini Maze]' this time,
Was only successful because he had a stone from trading at the [Mirage] market, which he used to construct it.
—It was a type of stone that, just by being placed there, could affect people's judgment and form a natural maze.
Jiang Lin kept playing with and studying that stone, analyzing its structure.
Only then did he shape this maze.
Because it was an independent space, it could both trap enemies and isolate certain influences.
Of course, this maze also had a drawback.
That is, it could only take effect passively if the opponent actively entered it.
...
Suddenly hearing a response, 'Xingfu', who had been trapped for a long time, felt a moment of excitement and satisfaction.
Then it realized this was wrong and said arrogantly:
"You want me to wait until your vacation ends? Aren't you afraid of increased influence?"
"Although you've trapped me, as long as I'm still in contact with you, I can still influence you."
"By then, it's uncertain if you can 'return to your former self'."
"In other words, you might be assimilated by me!"
"..."
Jiang Lin listened quietly for a while, then said indifferently, "That's why I'm on vacation."
Because I'm on vacation, I need you.
Because you are here, I am on vacation.
'Xingfu' was instantly choked: "..."
So, he was treating it as a tool?
The maze fell silent for a moment.
Jiang Lin's voice sounded again, with a slight sigh, "It should be soon..."
'Xingfu' quickly pressed, "Soon? How soon?"
Jiang Lin: "Soon."
Hearing this non-answer, 'Xingfu' almost went mad again.
In reality, Jiang Lin looked at the mission refreshed by the system.
He muttered: Soon.
If the message in a bottle missions were all like Liao Kexin's situation,
Then his current vacation status was clearly inappropriate.
Jiang Lin didn't have a strong attachment to the length of his vacation.
It's just that...
"If the vacation ends, shouldn't I bring something back for the team members?"
After all, he had taken such a long vacation, and it must have had some impact on them.
Shouldn't he offer some token of appreciation?
...
"Ding~ Congratulations to the host for triggering the advancement mission: Complete three message in a bottle wishes."
...