Chapter 329 The Lost Realm
Chapter 329 The Lost Realm
Jeremy chose not to disclose his observations, and naturally, General Howard's adjutant did not press him for details. With a nod, the adjutant led Jeremy into an interrogation room. Jeremy and the adjutant took seats on one side, while on the other side sat three individuals who had successfully escaped from The Lost Realm instance.
The expressions on the faces of the three people were vacant and lifeless, as if they were unaware of the presence of Jeremy and the adjutant across from them.
"I need to warn you," the adjutant began, "there's a chance that they won't respond to your questions. I'm not sure if they're pretending not to hear, or if they truly can't hear you. During our previous interrogations, they often fell into states of confusion. And if you ask questions that trigger certain memories, they might suddenly become agitated and go berserk."
As Jeremy listened to the adjutant's caution, he observed the three individuals before him closely. In addition to their blank expressions, he noticed that their life force seemed to be rapidly waning.
Having once witnessed the true form of life energy from the Goddess of Life herself, Jeremy was particularly sensitive to changes in vitality, allowing him to perceive the alarming decline in the life force of these three.
Jeremy gave a slight nod. "I understand. But with you here, I don't think I'm in any real danger. Besides, this interrogation room is located inside a military base. Even if they lose control, there's no way they could breach the base's layered defenses. So, let's not waste any more time."
Since Jeremy had made up his mind, the adjutant didn't delay further. He pressed a button on the interrogation room's desk, and the transparent barrier separating Jeremy from the three escapees vanished.
"You can start asking your questions now," the adjutant said quietly.
Jeremy pondered for a moment before posing his first question. "Can any of you hear me?"
The expressions on the three people's faces remained vacant, but one of them briefly glanced in Jeremy's direction, indicating that at least one of them had registered what he said.
Jeremy smiled and nodded. "It seems you can hear me, then. I'd like to ask you, when did you enter The Lost Realm?"
The person who appeared able to hear Jeremy's question showed a more bewildered expression. There was also a hint of pain mixed in with the confusion. After waiting a moment and receiving no answer, Jeremy decided to move on.
"If you can't recall when you entered The Lost Realm, then let me ask you this: what exactly did you see while you were there?"
Upon hearing this question, the person's expression finally softened a little. "I saw some transparent shadows in The Lost Realm. These shadows didn't seem to notice my presence, nor did they attack me. After advancing for a while, I completely lost my sense of direction. My companions wanted to keep exploring the instance, but I was already terrified, so I decided to turn back.
After turning back, I searched for the way out for what felt like a long time, and eventually, after who knows how long, I found the path leading to the exit."
Though the person's voice still had a strange tone to it, their answer was at least coherent and logically sound. Jeremy nodded with a smile after hearing the response. "I understand. Thank you very much for answering my question!"
With that, Jeremy stood up. The look on General Howard's adjutant's face was one of deep confusion. "You're not planning to ask any more questions? You've only just asked one! Do you think you understand The Lost Realm instance thoroughly enough from just that one question?"
Jeremy met his gaze, still smiling, and replied with conviction, "Yes, that was the only question I needed to ask. I don't have anything else I want to inquire about."
Having said that, Jeremy walked straight out of the interrogation room. The adjutant, though surprised, had no choice but to quickly follow him out.
"Are you absolutely sure you don't need to ask any more questions? I don't think that person gave us anything particularly useful. I know you're strong, but you shouldn't be overconfident. There are still enormous dangers ahead during the mission," General Howard's adjutant insisted, trying to persuade Jeremy as they stood in an unnoticed corner outside the interrogation room.
Jeremy nodded. "You're right, but I was able to get a general sense of the situation from that one question."
The adjutant's expression grew even more puzzled. "You've already figured out the general situation? So, what do you think it is?"
"The person who answered my question was clearly lying. In fact, I suspect he's not even human. Though he still has the appearance of a human, his soul has likely already been replaced by some kind of creature," Jeremy replied calmly.
The look of shock on the adjutant's face was unmistakable. "You can't be serious!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief. He quickly took out his phone, but before he could make a call, Jeremy firmly placed his hand over the device.
"What do you think you're doing?" the adjutant asked, his tone turning harsh.
"That's exactly the question I should be asking you," Jeremy replied, a faint smile curling on his lips. "Were you planning on telling others about this?"
"Of course! Keeping a monster inside the military base is far too dangerous. If we know it's a creature in disguise, we should eliminate it immediately!" The adjutant was growing increasingly confused by Jeremy's actions.
Jeremy shook his head. "Leave it here. Just keep a close watch on it. Although it's a monster, its strength is not particularly formidable. It's likely here only to deceive us. I believe that anyone who ventures into The Lost Realm instance can't possibly return unscathed.
They'll either become completely lost in the instance or lose their soul entirely." Discover hidden tales at M-V-L
"Moreover, I noticed signs of temporal stasis on all three of them. It's possible that their true souls have been permanently trapped in a specific moment in time. There might be a creature within The Lost Realm instance capable of manipulating time. Besides such a time-controlling entity, there could also be a monster with the power to manipulate space.
But you're well aware that time and space abilities can be interchanged. So, I suspect the strongest boss in The Lost Realm must possess extremely powerful control over both time and space."
As Jeremy spoke, his gaze hardened with determination. He was convinced that The Lost Realm instance had been specifically set up as a trap for him. Jeremy possessed the talent known as The King of Time and Space, and it was clear that the boss of The Lost Realm also had formidable temporal and spatial manipulation abilities.
Any misstep during his mission could result in him being forever trapped within the instance.
After listening patiently to Jeremy's explanation, General Howard's adjutant asked, "Do you need more time to prepare? If not, I'll arrange for you to be taken to the area surrounding the instance's entrance right away."
Hearing this, Jeremy nodded in agreement.
"Take me there immediately! But don't forget what I told you earlier—under no circumstances should you alert anyone. Just let that creature stay quietly in the interrogation room." Jeremy gave the adjutant a final reminder.
General Howard's adjutant nodded. "Understood. I will act according to your instructions. Before leaving, the general specifically ordered me not to make any independent decisions. All my actions must follow your commands."
The adjutant's response took Jeremy by surprise. He hadn't expected that General Howard would issue such an order to his adjutant. It was clear that the general placed a great deal of trust in Jeremy. For a moment, Jeremy didn't know what to say.
"What's the matter? Did something else come up? You seem a bit surprised," the adjutant asked, noticing the slight change in Jeremy's expression.
Jeremy shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm not surprised at all. I just think it's important to steady my emotions completely before the mission begins. I want to ensure that my state of mind remains perfectly stable throughout the operation."
He skillfully concealed his true thoughts, and the adjutant didn't press the matter further. Without saying anything more, the adjutant led Jeremy swiftly toward the entrance to The Lost Realm instance.
By now, the entrance had been completely sealed off. Without a special pass personally issued by General Howard, no one could enter the instance.