BXBX NOVEL Chapter 251: The Ominous News from Afar
Moreover, they all agreed to find a suitable time to discuss their subsequent action plans as soon as possible.
After deliberating for approximately half an hour, the three of them decided to part ways.
Howard took his subordinates back to the new military base that Benjamin had prepared for them.
Liam, along with his team, returned to the Special Circumstances Handling Bureau, hoping to promptly synchronize all the information obtained from the Mirror Maze instance into the Bureau\'s internal database.
With the others having departed, Jeremy naturally had no choice but to leave with Bonnie and Ritchie.
Bonnie chose to bid farewell to Jeremy and Ritchie at the entrance of the stadium.
"I can no longer accompany you both on this journey. I previously made a promise to my father that after concluding our mission in the Mirror Maze instance, I must go to him.
After all, he wishes to ensure my safety, and I do not want to cause him undue worry. Therefore, you two should return directly."
Jeremy and Ritchie nodded, and then watched as Bonnie walked away.
Once Bonnie had departed, Ritchie turned to Jeremy and asked,
"Is what you expressed in the Mirror Maze instance truly your intention?"
Ritchie\'s question left Jeremy somewhat puzzled.
"What do you mean by my intention? I had many thoughts while in the Mirror Maze. You need to be more specific."
"I am referring to your idea of entering the instance alone." Ritchie replied, his expression relaxed.
Although Jeremy had not disclosed his thoughts to anyone, Ritchie had spent a considerable amount of time with him and understood him very well.
Thus, when Ritchie observed Jeremy\'s expression, he could roughly deduce Jeremy\'s mindset.
Jeremy\'s expression did not change significantly.
He simply responded in a calm tone,
"You should know me quite well. If that is the case, you should understand that I am absolutely unafraid to challenge a particularly difficult instance alone."
In essence, Jeremy\'s words amounted to an admission.
Ritchie nodded in acknowledgment.
"I know you are unafraid to face a particularly challenging instance alone. That is why I was genuinely worried at the time. I felt that entering the instance by yourself would inevitably expose you to significant risks."
A faint smile appeared on Jeremy\'s lips.
"Well, that is all in the past now. Since we have already exited the Mirror Maze instance, let us not dwell on those matters any longer. We should hasten our return to the Flip-Flop Community!"
Thus, Jeremy and Ritchie swiftly made their way back to the neighborhood where they resided.
Upon reaching the foot of Ritchie\'s building, Jeremy made it a point to offer Ritchie some advice.
"I believe you must expedite your level advancement in the near future. I hope that before we venture into the next high-difficulty instance, you can elevate your level to at least 45."
Ritchie glanced at Jeremy, his expression filled with concern as he replied,
"I am still two or three levels away from 45. Do you really think I can achieve a two or three-level increase in such a short time? At least from my perspective, that seems utterly impossible."
Indeed, Ritchie lacked confidence in this regard.
From Ritchie\'s perspective, the difficulty of even ordinary instances had been significantly heightened.
This meant that even if he wished to challenge an instance of standard difficulty, it would still require a considerable amount of time. Consequently, this would slow down his rate of leveling up.
To elevate his level by two or three in just ten days was an almost impossible task.
Jeremy did not voice any complaints, he merely responded calmly, "Just do your best! After all, I will need your assistance for my upcoming endeavors!"
Ritchie nodded emphatically.
"Rest assured, I will exert every effort. I will strive to increase my level as much as possible before our next mission. I, too, do not wish to hinder you during our undertaking."
After exchanging these words, the two bid each other farewell.
Upon returning home, Jeremy felt a slight sense of unease.
However, he chose not to dwell on it any further.
Jeremy planned to get some rest quickly, if Howard and Liam had no intentions of re-entering the Mirror Maze instance in the near future.
He would need to execute a new action plan. It was essential for him to assist Ritchie and Bonnie in leveling up swiftly.
Once Jeremy fell asleep, he sank into a deep slumber.
It was not until the early hours of the following day that Jeremy was roused from his slumber by the sound of a ringing phone.
Jeremy stretched lazily before answering the call.
"Hello, who on earth is calling me so early?"
His eyes were still not fully open, and he hadn\'t even checked the caller ID before picking up the phone.
On the other end of the line was Howard\'s voice.
"Jeremy, I must convey some rather dreadful news to you. Just now, the military headquarters informed us of a critical update. Last night, their operation in the suburbs of the capital ended in complete failure.
Moreover, the powerful awakened individuals dispatched by the military headquarters perished within a high-difficulty instance. They have advised us against recklessly entering high-difficulty instances ourselves.
If even the military\'s formidable forces cannot conquer the boss within that challenging instance, then our own capabilities are woefully insufficient."
Howard quickly recounted the military\'s failed operation from the previous night in the capital\'s outskirts.
Although Howard did not provide an exhaustive account, Jeremy grasped the general reasons behind the military headquarters\' failure.
"So you are implying that the personnel from the military headquarters failed because they ventured too deeply into the high-difficulty instance? It seems our strategy in the Mirror Maze instance was indeed the most prudent."
Jeremy couldn\'t help but reflect on this.
Though the news Howard brought was, without a doubt, a grim piece of information from afar,
for Jeremy, it served as a valuable reminder.
Jeremy suddenly realized that his idea of venturing deep into the Mirror Maze instance alone was indeed rather perilous.
"General Howard, what sort of course of action do you believe we should adopt moving forward? We likely won\'t attempt to delve into the depths of the Mirror Maze instance again anytime soon, correct?"
Although Jeremy had already surmised what Howard\'s response might entail, he still chose to directly inquire on the phone.
Howard on the other end answered forthrightly.
"You are absolutely correct, we will not be re-entering the Mirror Maze instance in the immediate future. In fact, I will not permit anyone to enter any high-difficulty instances for the time being.
I will be coordinating with my subordinates to clear out the ordinary instances surrounding Moonlight City as swiftly as possible. If you and your companions wish to join us in this endeavor, you are more than welcome to do so."
"If you do not wish to join me in this endeavor, you are more than free to act independently. I believe that, given your and your companions\' capabilities, you should be able to handle the monsters within the ordinary instances."
Howard did not intend to have Jeremy and his group accompany him at all times.
This was because Howard harbored a certain degree of wariness towards Jeremy.
In the presence of such a highly gifted awakened individual as Jeremy, Howard had always felt that he should enlist in the military. However, Jeremy had consistently rejected Howard\'s proposals, which left Howard with some lingering concerns.
Nevertheless, Howard would certainly not voice his anxieties in front of Jeremy.
"I think my companions and I should operate independently. Our methods of operation differ substantially from yours. If we were to act together, we would undoubtedly interfere with one another\'s efforts.
However, I can assure you that during this period, I will do my utmost to clear as many ordinary instances as possible alongside my companions. It is crucial for them to level up quickly."
Jeremy\'s response greatly satisfied Howard.
Howard stated directly over the phone, "That is excellent! In the short term, I should not have any further matters to discuss with you. However, whether Director Liam will reach out to you is beyond my ability to ascertain."
After finishing this statement, Howard promptly hung up the phone.
Although Jeremy had a few more questions he wished to pose, he realized he lacked the time to ask them.
"Does Howard mean to imply that Liam is looking for me? Why would Liam want to contact me? While I have collaborated with him in the past, we are not particularly familiar with one another."
Jeremy felt a twinge of confusion regarding the information provided by Howard.
However, he did not dwell on the matter for too long, as Jeremy believed that, regardless of the reason prompting Liam to seek him out, he would be able to respond swiftly.
"The most pressing concern at the moment is to assist Bonnie and Ritchie in leveling up. If Bonnie is unable to continue accompanying me, then I will have no choice but to focus on helping Ritchie."
Jeremy quickly redirected his attention to the most critical task at hand.
Consequently, he dialed Ritchie\'s number, and after three rings, Ritchie finally answered the call.