Mirror Question and Answer

Ace Snake looked at the kind old man who led the Machinery Hivemind members into the workshop and asked with a frown,

"Horamick, why are you also here to join in the fun? Are you here to laugh at us Mandated Punishers?"

Horamick Haydn wasn't only the head of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery's Backlund diocese, but he was also a member of the Divine Council. He was also a very famous scientist in the Northern Continent, and an honorary professor of physics at Backlund University.

From his tone, one can tell that Spellsinger of God is very familiar with this archbishop of the Church of Steam. They have a good relationship.

Upon hearing Ace's unfriendly tone, Horamick calmly smiled and said, "Strictly speaking, this is the area under the Machinery Hivemind's jurisdiction. It's also our duty to investigate…" Having said that, he glanced at the handsome military man on the other side and continued, "Don't worry, we're only here to provide some help, not to vie for 1-025."

When Ace Snake heard that, his expression softened. He thought for a moment and probed, "Did the Machinery Hivemind get any new clues?"

"Not at the moment… But we brought a Sealed Artifact that can provide clues." With that said, Horamick's hands naturally hung low as he turned around and said to the man behind him, "Ikanser, bring 2-111 over."

"Yes, Your Grace," the man named Ikanser answered respectfully before walking forward with a silver mirror in his arms.

The others immediately focused their gazes on the mirror.

On both sides of the mirror, there was an eye-like accessory. It was built on a black gem, looking deep and charming.

"It's only a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact?" Ace Snake was clearly disappointed.

Horamick smiled without saying a word, motioning for Ikanser to show its abilities.

With a head of frizzled, messy, and stubborn brown hair, Ikanser gritted his teeth and stroked the surface of the silver mirror with his right hand. After repeating it three times, he took a deep breath and said in a deep voice,

"Honorable Arrodes, my question is, what exactly happened in the basement of this workshop last night?"

As he said that, the surrounding space suddenly became dense, and aqueous light appeared on the surface of the silver mirror.

Soon, a scene appeared in the silver mirror.

More than a dozen hooded suspicious people were sitting around a long table, arguing fiercely about something, oblivious to the fact that on the other side of the table, a young man wearing gold-framed eyes was quietly watching their performance.

At this moment, a middle-aged man with lifeless eyes appeared at the door of the basement. Just as he pushed open the door, the young man who no one noticed previously extended his right hand and opened his mouth to recite a poem…

Then, the young man threw out ropes formed from hurricanes, binding everyone in the basement before he disappeared.

With a flash of water, the scene changed. A man in a black overcoat, scarf and heavy hat walked into the basement. He surveyed the area and walked straight to a member of the Secret Order. He took out a small box from his pocket.

Then, without him moving, everyone in the basement turned into lifelike dolls.

The man waved his hand, and one by one, the cloth dolls flew up and entered the illusory bronze door that had condensed in front of him.

Finally, the aqueous light in the mirror froze on the scene of the man looking up slightly, revealing a face covered in black spots.

The black spots were so terrifying that even the silver mirror's "reenactment" of the scene still left everyone present in shock.

Ikanser exhaled. Just as he was about to silently leave the demigods, a few lines of ancient Feysac appeared on the silver mirror.

"Based on the principle of reciprocity, it's my turn to ask."

"If you answer wrong or lie, you will be punished."

The word "punished" was blood-red, as though it was dripping with liquid!

The expression on Ikanser's face twisted for a moment before turning abnormally serious.

Following that, aqueous light flashed on the silver mirror as a new line appeared:

"What was the true name of the Giant King's Court's queen in the Third Epoch?"

Ikanser's throat bobbed up and down as sweat gradually appeared on his forehead.

After a brief silence, he casually said,

"Constant!"

"Wrong." The blood-red words on the mirror changed again. "Mission or penalty?"

There was an obvious struggle on Ikanser's face. Finally, he exhaled and said,

"Penalty."

Just as he said that a silver bolt of lightning appeared out of thin air and struck his head.

Sizzle. Ikanser's hair stood on end, and his body collapsed with a thud, spewing out some black smoke.

As for the mirror, it didn't fall to the ground with him. Instead, it floated up and landed on a machine's console beside him.

When Stuart, who had been watching the development of the situation, saw this scene, he immediately walked forward, squatted down, and pressed his right hand on Ikanser's back, simulating the power of "healing."

After two seconds, Ikanser stood up, trembling as he panted. After a long while, he nodded at Stuart and said in a hoarse voice, "Friend, thank you."

"You're welcome…" Stewart stood up and looked at the silver mirror on the operating table. He asked thoughtfully, "It seems to have the powers of the Reader and Sailor pathway's High-Sequence Beyonders. Is it really only a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact?"

Ikanser nodded.

"Yes, it's not very dangerous."

As he said that, he suddenly sounded like he was gritting his teeth.

"In other words, all other aspects have reached the standards of a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact?" Stuart said in enlightenment.

At this moment, the three saints present began discussing what they had seen.

"Could the man who appeared in the basement be 1-025? His methods are very similar, and he dressed like that in the summer. I can't think of any normal person who would choose to dress like that," Ace Snake said after some thought.

"Although it makes sense, that person clearly came for the item on that member of the Secret Order. The others were just implicated… Besides, that person gives me a different feeling from 1-025… He seems to be even more terrifying." When the handsome military man said this, he looked at Horamick with his golden eyes.

His meaning was clear. Since there was such an easily usable Sealed Artifact, why was he making random guesses?

"So, we need to know the exact background of that man, as well as what he took away?" Horamick nodded in agreement. Then, he looked at the weak Ikanser and turned to the other Machinery Hivemind members.

"Which one of you is going to use 2-111?"

To his surprise, before the deacons and members of the Machinery Hivemind could respond, Stuart, who was beside Ikanser, eagerly interjected, "Your Excellency Horamick, can I use 2-111? I have full confidence in my knowledge. I should be able to answer its questions."

Horamick looked at him seriously and then replied with a smile, "Sure, let you use it."

After receiving permission, Stuart picked up the silver mirror on the operating table in excitement. When he turned around and was about to ask Ikanser about the things to take note of when he discovered that the high-ranking deacon of the Church of Steam and the Machinery Hivemind members behind him were all looking at him with pity.

Compassion? Why? Do they think I'll be punished? Are they so sure that I can't answer 2-111?

With a hint of confusion, Stuart stroked the surface of the mirror three times with his right hand before asking,

"Honorable Arrodes, my question is the origins of the man who turned everyone in the basement into dolls and took them away."

The interior of the workshop darkened once again as if dark clouds had just passed by.

The surface of the silver mirror swirled with aqueous light as a blurry image quickly condensed.

It was an underground mausoleum. A man covered in black spots sealed himself in a stone coffin with scarlet armor, a silver broadsword, and a pitch-black glove.

Following that, the scene changed. The decorations in the mausoleum visibly rotted, clearly having been there for a long time.

At this moment, a transparent figure passed through the ritual passed through the stone coffin and possessed the man's body.

The scene came to an abrupt halt.

"It really is 1-025!" Ace Snake glanced at the handsome military man and said proudly.

The military man ignored him. Instead, he pinched his chin and muttered to himself, "What exactly happened to that man? Why did he seal himself?"

"In the scene that flashed past, that person's family emblem appeared. I think we should be able to find it in the royal family's library," Horamick said with a smile after listening quietly.

"Leave this to me. I'll get it done as soon as possible," the handsome military man said with a nod.

At this moment, the silver mirror named Arrodes had already dissipated the scene, turning into words.

It required Stuart to answer a question, and if he lied or refused to answer, he would be severely punished.

Strat felt an inexplicable sense of anticipation and anxiety, but he found the words of the mirror a little strange.

Answer a question is like an exam. Knowing means knowing, and not knowing means not knowing. Why does it think that I would lie or be unwilling to answer?

Puzzled, Stuart looked at the mirror and quietly waited for the question.

A few seconds later, he saw the blood-like words change as they formed one after another.

"The first time you resolved the biological problems of an adult, which bishop or deacon's wife surfaced in your mind?"

Stewart froze, feeling everyone's gaze fall on him, especially one of the high-ranking deacons of the Church of Storms who was on duty outside.

…

Saturday afternoon. As the weather had changed again, heavy dark clouds covered half the sky, so the public-school camping trip was forced to be suspended.

Under Mr. Black's lead, the group of young men and women quickly returned to the small town of Conva.

However, just as he returned to the hotel, he discovered that the atmosphere in the town was a little off. It seemed like there were many new faces.

He couldn't help but look at the nearby Emma. The latter nodded with a serious expression, clearly sensing this.

At that moment, a voice came from behind them.

"Miss Emma? Why are you here?"