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Chapter 340 The Events That Actually Happened
Chapter 340 The Events That Actually Happened
After Ritchie finished speaking, Jeremy's expression turned to one of deep confusion.
"What exactly happened? Other than you, has the entire Special Team been killed by the monsters? Why are you hiding here? Based on my calculations, we're really close to the instance boss. Isn't it more dangerous for you to stay here? Shouldn't you be hiding somewhere farther away from the boss?"
Upon hearing Jeremy's question, Ritchie slowly began to recount everything he had experienced up until now.
Ritchie and the members of the Special Team had entered The Lost Realm instance, where they encountered a series of bizarre events. These strange happenings caused Ritchie and the rest of the Special Team to become separated from each other. Each of them was then attacked by odd and terrifying creatures.
At one point, Ritchie even began to question whether he had fallen into some kind of hallucination. Faced with these strange and unpredictable monster attacks, he chose what seemed to be the safest option: hiding in the shadows.
At first, Ritchie's decision to stay hidden seemed to be working. However, as time passed, he began to feel a creeping sense of confusion about his own self-awareness. He couldn't tell if he was still fully human or slowly turning into a machine.
Although staying in the shadows helped shield him to some extent from the mental interference of the instance boss, there was a moment where he almost transformed into a half-mechanical, half-organic creature.
After surviving that extremely dangerous moment, Ritchie decided to keep fleeing throughout the instance, hoping that by doing so, he could retain his human consciousness. During his flight, he passed through one strange space after another. Inevitably, as he traveled through these bizarre areas, he found himself moving deeper into the instance.
By the time he realized how close he was to the instance boss, it was already too late to choose any other direction. With no better option, Ritchie decided to hide in the shadows again.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually, Jeremy and the others came into view. At first, Ritchie assumed they were just illusions created by the instance boss, meant to lure him out of his hiding spot.
However, after Jeremy used a special skill from Mortal Combat, Ritchie realized the people in front of him were real, not just figments of his imagination.
After hearing Ritchie's account, Jeremy's face grew noticeably grim.
The things Ritchie described were events that had truly happened. This meant that Jeremy and the others had not yet faced the full might of the instance boss's attacks.
"Is there anything else you haven't told us? If not, we need to leave this special area as soon as possible. The longer we stay here, the more danger Claire, Emma, and Bonnie will be in. I don't think the instance boss will give us time to prepare for battle."
After hearing Jeremy's words, Ritchie quickly responded, "I've already told you everything I know. And while I was running, I never had a direct confrontation with The Lost Realm's instance boss. I don't know what kind of abilities it has or how strong it really is. I'm sorry, I can't provide much more help."
Ritchie felt a tinge of disappointment in his heart. He had initially thought that by leading the Special Team into The Lost Realm ahead of everyone, he could make a real difference. But instead of helping, he felt like he had made things harder for Jeremy and his team.
Sensing Ritchie's guilt, Jeremy gave him a reassuring smile. "You don't need to blame yourself! Honestly, we all underestimated the strength of the instance boss in The Lost Realm. I imagine General Howard and Director Liam must be in a pretty bad situation right now too."
With that, Jeremy deactivated the special area from Mortal Combat. In an instant, he and Ritchie reappeared in front of Claire, Emma, and Bonnie.
"Did anything unusual happen while we were gone?" Jeremy immediately asked the three women.
Bonnie shook her head. "No, during the time you and Ritchie were gone, we didn't encounter anything strange. But I did hear some faint noises coming from deep within the instance. It sounded like someone was beating a drum in the distance. However, Claire and Emma didn't hear it, so I'm not sure if what I heard was real or just my imagination."
Upon hearing Bonnie's words, Jeremy frowned, contemplating the situation. After a few moments of thought, he came to a realization.
In a deep, serious tone, Jeremy said, "Our next move will carry a great deal of risk. You all need to be fully prepared for what's coming."
"If any of you feel that your strength isn't sufficient or that you're not in the best condition, then stay here. Don't keep pushing forward."
With those words, Jeremy turned and began making his way deeper into the instance. Ritchie and Bonnie, without a moment's hesitation, followed closely behind him. Claire and Emma, however, hesitated for a brief moment.
Both of them wanted to continue with Jeremy, but they couldn't shake the feeling that their abilities might not be strong enough for what lay ahead. After a moment of internal conflict, Emma leaned in closer to Claire, lowering her voice as she spoke.
"I think this might be a test from Jeremy. If we have confidence in ourselves, we should follow him and continue forward."
Claire nodded firmly at Emma's suggestion. "You're right. We can't back down now. Let's catch up with them!"
And so, the entire group pressed forward together, following Jeremy deeper into the heart of the instance. As they advanced, Jeremy's mind was constantly at work, strategizing how to defeat The Lost Realm's instance boss.
Through the information he had gathered, Jeremy had already begun to piece together a clearer picture of their formidable enemy. From Ritchie, he learned that the instance boss possessed a certain level of psychic interference, capable of clouding the minds of those who drew near. From Bonnie, he had gained insight into the increasing strength of the boss's spatial abilities.
The faint drumming sound that Bonnie had heard was, in fact, the sound of gravitational waves. The intense spatial distortions caused rapid fluctuations in gravity, producing these gravitational waves that, under certain conditions, could be perceived by those with heightened abilities.
Jeremy, possessing the innate talent of The King of Time and Space, had an extraordinarily keen sense for spatial distortions. However, even with his sharp instincts, he had overlooked the presence of these gravitational waves. It was a detail that made him realize just how powerful the instance boss had become. If left unchecked, the boss would soon become too strong for them to stand a chance.
With this knowledge in mind, Jeremy accelerated his pace, determined to reach the depths of The Lost Realm as quickly as possible.
While Jeremy and his team pressed on, Liam and Howard were also taking action. However, their efforts were not going as smoothly. Despite adjusting their plans after facing several setbacks, the difficulty of The Lost Realm instance far exceeded their expectations.
As their mission progressed, both Liam and Howard's squads suffered significant losses. The challenges they faced were unlike anything they had encountered before, pushing their limits and leaving them on the verge of collapse.
Liam and Howard, each leading their respective teams, found themselves trapped in the middle layer of The Lost Realm instance. This area was filled with a series of bizarre and disorienting spaces. Without the ability to sense spatial shifts with extreme precision, there was no way for them to navigate out of these chaotic regions.
Despite the dire situation, both Liam and Howard managed to maintain a sense of calm.
"Everyone, stay calm! I know the spaces around us seem strange and disorienting, but if we keep our heads clear, we'll find a way out," Liam said to his subordinates in a firm and serious tone. Though he lacked confidence himself, he hoped his words would be enough to keep his team from panicking.
Howard echoed a similar sentiment to his own squad. Like Liam, Howard hadn't yet come up with a solution to their predicament. Both of them, in truth, were banking on Jeremy's success. They believed that if Jeremy could defeat The Lost Realm's instance boss, the entire instance would destabilize, and their current dilemma would resolve itself naturally.
"I hope Jeremy's mission goes smoothly," Liam muttered to himself after finally managing to settle the nerves of his team. "If even he can't take down the instance boss, we're all going to die here, trapped in this twisted realm."
Liam's perception of Jeremy had changed considerably over time. Initially, he had regarded Jeremy as just another powerful extraordinary being. Sure, Jeremy was strong, but Liam didn't think he could play a pivotal role in their plans.
However, after experiencing two instances in the real world together and surviving the mission in the Tower of Exile, Liam began to see Jeremy in a new light. Jeremy, in his eyes, had proven himself to be a true genius, someone with the potential to achieve great things. Liam even considered using Jeremy's abilities to further his own ambitions.
Yet, despite recognizing Jeremy's talent, Liam hadn't fully regarded him as an indispensable ally. That all changed after they entered The Lost Realm. Facing crises that Liam himself had no way of resolving, he finally came to acknowledge Jeremy as his most crucial partner in their survival.
Now, all of Liam's hopes rested on Jeremy's shoulders. Howard's thoughts were much the same. Both men understood that Jeremy's success or failure would determine whether they made it out of the instance alive.