BXBX NOVEL Chapter 241: The Mirror Maze
"We possess little knowledge about the high-difficulty instance we are about to enter. Furthermore, the very nature of a high-difficulty instance signifies that it is fraught with peril.
"Therefore, I will first lead Liam and Jeremy, the two individuals with relatively strong capabilities, into the instance. Once we have assessed the general conditions of the instance, you all may enter afterward."
"This approach will ensure your basic safety. Although I am aware that some of you are not afraid of danger, your abilities are still somewhat lacking."
Everyone present expressed their agreement with Howard\'s statement.
After delivering his message, Howard turned his gaze toward Liam and Jeremy.
"If both of you are prepared, then let us swiftly enter the instance."
Liam and Jeremy nodded firmly.
In truth, they had been ready for quite some time, Liam even brought along a particularly valuable piece of equipment that belonged to one of his subordinates.
"We will be entering the instance shortly, so the rest of you should take a moment to rest here."
With that, Howard led Liam and Jeremy to the entrance of the high-difficulty instance.
At the entrance, the three of them could see flickering lights that appeared to mimic the brilliance of the night sky.
"I will go in first, you two can decide the order in which you enter the instance." Howard declared, and then he boldly stepped into the instance.
Liam spoke gently to Jeremy, "You take the rear, I believe your strength surpasses mine."
Jeremy nodded in acknowledgment and remained silent.
Liam then proceeded to enter the instance.
Jeremy cast one last glance at the individuals remaining outside the instance, and then he stepped into the instance.
The moment he entered the high-difficulty instance, Jeremy was immediately greeted by a cacophony of voices swirling around him.
He could faintly discern that some of the voices within this noisy din belonged to familiar individuals. However, the majority of the voices eluded his ability to identify their sources.
The clamor quickly faded, and Jeremy\'s attention shifted to a massive mirror standing before him.
Howard and Liam were nowhere within his line of sight, and Jeremy had not heard either of them speak.
This implied that upon entering the instance, the three of them had been instantaneously separated into different areas by the high-difficulty instance.
Weaker individuals would likely succumb to panic in such a situation. Yet, Jeremy and his companions were certainly not overwhelmed by fear.
Each of them had prior experience in conquering instances on their own.
Jeremy was not particularly concerned about Howard and Liam\'s whereabouts, instead, he meticulously examined the imposing mirror before him.
Surrounded by darkness, the only reflection visible in the mirror was his own. He could not see anything behind him through its surface.
With his left hand firmly gripping the Longsword of the Undying, Jeremy reached out with his right hand to touch the mirror\'s reflective surface.
"This is merely an ordinary mirror. However, given its presence within a high-difficulty instance, it must possess some special qualities that I have yet to uncover."
Jeremy swiftly concluded regarding the massive mirror before him.
Although he had not detected anything particularly remarkable, he remained vigilant.
This was due to his sudden realization that the reflection staring back at him differed from his memory of himself.
Jeremy recalled that he had a faint scar on his forehead, yet the Jeremy in the mirror bore no such mark.
The instant he recognized the discrepancy between the reflection and his true self, the enormous mirror before him abruptly shattered.
From the resulting fissure, a pale, large hand shot forth with alarming speed.
Before Jeremy could react in any capacity, the ghostly hand seized him and pulled him into the mirror\'s realm.
As Jeremy regained his senses, he found himself situated within the interior of the mirror.
When he glanced back toward the mirror\'s surface, he noticed another version of himself staring intently at the reflection.
"This situation is decidedly off!"
Ordinary individuals would undoubtedly be thrown into a state of panic under such circumstances. However, Jeremy was no ordinary person, he had already undergone the awakening of his rare talent.
Drawing upon the gift of The King of Time and Space, Jeremy quickly sensed that the space surrounding him was rapidly compressing.
The rate of compression was accelerating, and if Jeremy could not escape from the mirror\'s world within fifteen minutes, dire consequences awaited him.
He would be compressed into an infinitely small space, subsequently left here for all eternity.
"There must be a way to break this!" Jeremy thought resolutely. "Although this instance is classified as high-difficulty, it cannot possibly throw intruders into a state of absolute peril the moment they enter."
As he contemplated potential escape strategies, he also focused on calming his racing heart.
Jeremy was acutely aware that in the face of danger, it was imperative to maintain composure.
Once one succumbed to panic, the likelihood of making catastrophic mistakes increased exponentially.
In a high-difficulty instance, even the slightest blunder could lead to a fate worse than death.
In the blink of an eye, Jeremy developed a plan of action.
He gripped the Longsword of the Undying tightly with both hands and swung it forcefully toward the mirror\'s surface.
The Longsword of the Undying possessed divine lethality, which meant that even against deities, it could prove effective.
The world within the mirror must indeed harbor the power of a deity.
For only the strength of a deity could create an instance so fraught with peril.
The instant the Longsword of the Undying struck the mirror\'s surface, a barely perceptible fissure emerged.
Seizing this opportunity, Jeremy activated his talent, The King of Time and Space.
With the enhancement of The King of Time and Space, Jeremy swiftly manipulated the divine energy to expand the minute crack in the mirror.
As the tiny fissure expanded to a size sufficient for a person to pass through, Jeremy wasted no time in wriggling through the opening.
In this manner, Jeremy escaped from the interior realm of the mirror.
Once he emerged from the mirror\'s inner world, Jeremy quickly surveyed his surroundings.
He discovered that he was situated not far from the entrance of the instance.
All around him stood a multitude of mirrors, each corresponding to its own inner world.
Moreover, the distance between each mirror was relatively short.
This implied that if someone else were to escape from the depths of a mirror\'s world without paying attention to their surroundings, they could easily find themselves thrust into another mirror\'s internal realm.
One mirror after another connected to form an enormous labyrinth.
For anyone attempting to navigate their way out of this maze, the challenge would be formidable.
Jeremy realized that he could not afford to move freely in any direction.
For if he ventured too far in any single direction, he would inevitably collide with the realm of another mirror.
"Could it be that the boss of this high-difficulty instance is hiding within one of the mirror worlds? If that is indeed the case, I could potentially waste an immense amount of time searching for the instance\'s boss.
By the time I finally locate the instance boss, I will likely be utterly exhausted. At that point, I would certainly be incapable of defeating a boss of such a challenging instance."
After carefully assessing his surroundings, Jeremy immediately began to formulate a mental strategy.
He realized that it would be utterly impossible for him to conquer the high-difficulty instance alone. In fact, he could even assert that relying solely on his own strength would not suffice to ensure his own safety.
Jeremy quickly came to the conclusion that his most pressing priority was to locate Liam and Howard.
"They must be nearby! They could even be in the mirror world right next to me!"
With determination, Jeremy scrutinized the surrounding mirrors, and soon he noticed one that appeared somewhat different from the others.
Within this particular mirror, there was a flickering point of light.
After observing a moment longer, Jeremy was finally able to confirm that this light was indeed Howard.
"Howard is indeed trapped in the mirror\'s inner world! I must find a way to offer him some assistance!"
After pondering for a brief moment, Jeremy activated his talent, The King of Time and Space, once more.
Through the creation of an unknown space in front of the mirror, he briefly connected the inner world of the mirror with the unknown space he generated.
In this manner, Jeremy managed to throw an item into the realm where Howard was located.
"This is the best I can do for you. As for whether you can escape from the inner world of the mirror, that is beyond my control. You will have to rely on your own efforts."
Although Jeremy had provided Howard with invaluable assistance, he could not guarantee that Howard would be able to escape from the mirror\'s inner world.
Jeremy then turned his attention to the other mirrors, hoping to locate Liam as quickly as possible.
However, after spending ten minutes searching, Jeremy still found no trace of Liam. It seemed as though Liam had vanished entirely within the mirror maze.
"Could it be that he has become completely lost within the inner world of the mirror? If so, I may be unable to rescue him." Jeremy murmured to himself, a hint of worry creeping into his voice.