Drawn by some unseen force, the columnar, diamond-shaped crimson gem slowly drifted beneath the vortex of mist. Then, it floated upward, merging into one with the vortex.
With the gem at its center, the vortex wrapped tightly around it. The gem's color gradually bled outward, quickly dyeing the entire vortex in a deep crimson hue.
Lynch held his breath and watched silently from the side. Based on his prior understanding, this gem had already been brought into the Swelling Daughter's world. Now, by utilizing this same gem that existed simultaneously in both worlds, a bridge was being built between the two sides.
Next, they would exploit the fact that the gem was a replica to transfer the source of the replication—the Gate of Falsehood and Reality—from the other world to the mortal world. However, since the gem had already been swapped for the genuine article, barring any unforeseen circumstances, all the prepared materials would be consumed, but the attempt would ultimately fail. Without a replica of the same origin to guide it, it was impossible for the mirror to return to the mortal world.
But that was assuming nothing went wrong.
Lynch couldn't be sure, so he had to confirm it for himself.
Although he still wore Ms. Selene's face, his expression was tense and blank. For someone with the mental fortitude of a former shut-in, facing such immense pressure was like standing before a nuclear bomb and being forced to choose between cutting the red wire or the blue wire. The fact that he could still stand here steadily was already a miracle.
As the power of the gem merged with the vortex, a blurry image gradually surfaced upon it. The image was incredibly faint at first, resembling the static-filled screen of an old television.
But as the gem's power manifested more clearly, the image grew sharper. Through the picture in the vortex, an identical tomb chamber could be seen on the other side, and the person waiting there was none other than Walker.
Walker was pacing anxiously around the throne when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He looked in the direction of the image, then strode over with a look of sheer joy, bowing deeply with a smile.
“It is a pleasure to meet again in this manner, Ms. Selene. It seems things have progressed very smoothly. Everything is under control.”
“Yes, everything is under control,” Lynch replied, hiding his face behind his round fan as he wore a mysterious smile. “I am ready to officially begin on my end at any time. What about you?”
“Of course. We are fully prepared and only waiting for your arrival.”
Walker's smile was somewhat strange, but it vanished in a flash. He then held up a rectangular silver mirror.
It closely resembled a vanity mirror that people of this era would place on their dressing tables. Within its gilded frame, the reflective surface was made of polished silver, looking both ancient and luxurious.
Upon seeing the mirror, Lynch's expression shifted. Unconsciously, a powerful urge to possess and use it suddenly welled up inside him. This mirror was easily the most tempting thing in the world; he had to have it, no matter the cost.
The sensation was so overwhelming that Lynch had to exert immense effort just to suppress the impulse. This was entirely different from how he felt when facing mere fear-grade or destruction-grade mystery relics; it was like a craving that stemmed from his very soul.
I must have it. No, wait, I need to control myself.
Lynch bit down hard on his tongue, barely managing to suppress the inexplicable longing.
Damn it, is this a manifestation-grade mystery relic, the highest danger level? It truly is terrifyingly powerful.
I am a transmigrator who was baptized by the information age. I have seen all kinds of things, yet I still reacted like this. What would happen to an ordinary person of this world? And this is with us in completely different worlds. If it actually appeared before the eyes of someone in the mortal world, one wouldn't even need to think to know what would happen.
I absolutely cannot allow this. This mirror is too dangerous.
However, for Walker to hold this mirror so calmly, his true strength shouldn't be underestimated either.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Lynch watched Walker's movements on the other side of the image. He saw Walker reluctantly stroke the mirror's frame, let out a deep sigh, and then place the mirror onto the vortex on his side.
“It is finally over,” Walker exhaled slowly, explaining, “Since the end of the Third Age, when the Gate of Falsehood and Reality was buried with the Arke Dynasty, it was brought into her dream world by that Lady. In fact, many things in the dream world were replicated by that mirror. However, things in the dream world cannot be brought into the mortal world; even that Lady cannot do it. Only through this complex method can the mirror return to the mortal world. We have prepared for too long for this moment, and today, it is finally within reach.”
“I am looking forward to it.”
Lynch smiled, quietly observing the vortex's reaction.
As the mirror was placed into the opposite vortex, the spinning speed of the vortex on Lynch's side grew faster and faster, causing his heart to tighten in suspense. On the other side, Walker was clearly even more tense, his face pale as he clenched his fists, staring unblinkingly at the rapidly spinning vortex.
Crackle.
Several sparks of energy crackled out of the vortex. Lynch realized this was a sign that the passage had been fully established. Now... whether the mirror could be sent to the mortal world would be decided in an instant.
Crackle, crackle.
Arcs of electricity danced wildly, and sparks flew in all directions.
Lynch's palms were sweating as he stared without blinking, when he suddenly saw Walker's expression on the other side twist in extreme shock. He shrieked hysterically, “No! How is this possible? Why was the mirror ejected from the passage? What happened?!”
Whew.
Hearing Walker's roar, Lynch let out a silent chuckle behind his round fan. A heavy weight lifted from his chest, though he also felt a slight tinge of disappointment. But right at that moment, he unexpectedly noticed a sinister smirk suddenly spreading across Walker's distorted face.
Something's wrong!
Lynch immediately realized there was a problem, but in that very instant, his mind shuddered. He felt as if a bizarre, terrifyingly powerful entity was rapidly approaching through an invisible channel at breakneck speed.
How? That was definitely the genuine gem!
The sudden turn of events made Lynch's eyes widen as he stared in shock at Walker across the image. The Ranger leader's distorted expression had completely vanished, replaced by a sinister, triumphant smirk of a successful conspirator.
“Are you surprised, Mr. Detective? Surprised that even though you clearly swapped the replica with the genuine gem, the mystery relic is still returning to the mortal world?” Walker tossed his head back in triumph, speaking in a condescending tone. “No need to be puzzled. Heh, I must admit, we never expected you to pull off such a stunt to swap the gem. You truly fooled us. But you seem to have vastly underestimated the power and wisdom of the Great Old Ones.”
“Your performance was highly entertaining. An ant struggling with all its might, only to plunge into despair after all its futile efforts—that is my absolute favorite ending. For that, I am willing to reward you with the truth.”
Accompanied by a familiar voice, the Swelling Daughter, who had taken the form of a young girl, stepped out from the side, wearing a reserved yet eerie smile.
“Actually, I have always believed that pinning all hopes on a single replica gem to watch a good show is far too risky, but I could never find a solution. But then, you appeared, mortal. Heh, are the fan and the scripture I gave you useful? I hope you like them.”
“This fan and scripture are replicas as well?” Lynch's expression changed. Looking at the round fan in his hand, a chill ran down his spine. As expected, there was no such thing as a free lunch, let alone one from an evil god. “But didn't you say that things from the dream world cannot be brought into the mortal world?”
“Under normal circumstances, they indeed cannot. But you didn't leave normally, did you? You used some Divine Authority you obtained from who-knows-where to blast open the barrier between dreams and reality, forcing your way out. While doing so wouldn't allow you to bring out something as powerful as that mirror, as you were leaving, I placed the fan and scripture carried by my follower onto you, allowing you to carry them out in the process.”
“Thus, as long as you carry these two items, you yourself become another replica. Even without the replica gem, this mystery relic can still be delivered to the hands of the person who needs it. This performance was never going to be disrupted. All that was left was to ensure you personally participated in this event. I didn't expect you to be even more proactive than I imagined; before I could even guide you, you had already jumped in on your own. And your performance was truly splendid—you fooled everyone. However, it is time for the curtain to fall. The mystery relic has already been delivered, and no one can stop it from returning to the mortal world to throw this world into chaos. You did very well, mortal. But unfortunately, I am still the winner of this game. Now, drown in your regret and despair.”
“Is that so? Then congratulations to you,” Lynch sighed, maintaining his disguise. “You just said that no one can stop it from returning to the mortal world. Was that the truth?”
The Swelling Daughter's smile vanished, her eyes showing a trace of confusion.
“It seems to be the truth. That puts my mind at ease,” Lynch chuckled, speaking in a quiet, leisurely tone. “For thousands of years, you evil gods have sat high in the clouds, looking down on mortals, calculating and toying with them like ants for your own amusement. It seems you take this as a matter of course. But I'm sorry, I, Lynch Levive, love nothing more than saying 'no' to self-righteous evil gods who think they can play me.”
Rate on N.U.
