Chapter 727: The Third Layer of the Mirror World

"Never guess who it is?" Lu Mi and Furanka both snorted, assuming the posture of someone about to take a guess.

Of course, neither of them guessed outright; they planned to first gather information indirectly before making targeted guesses.

Lu Mi observed the shifting fate streams of Moran Avini, understanding that this "Knight of Punishment" held to his own principles and mystical self-imposed limits—he wouldn't voluntarily reveal anything about the leader of the "Mirror People," yet he couldn't suppress his urge to confide, couldn't resist the influence of hypnosis, and thus made a boastful provocation.

"You just said the 'Mirror People' with great divinity couldn't escape through leakage points via certain disasters—not the 'Mirror People' who possess divinity," Lu Mi smiled, dissecting Moran Avini's own words for key phrases. "That means a Sequence 4 'Mirror Person' has escaped before, and your leader is at least a Sequence 3 Half-God-level 'Mirror Person'?"

Moran Avini immediately wore an expression of regret, sorry he'd spoken too openly and inadvertently revealed crucial information through his word choice.

Inspired by Lu Mi's performance, Furanka chuckled along:

"Where is the Sequence 4 'Mirror Person' who escaped from your mirror world now? What are they doing?"

Moran Avini's lips twitched; he endured with great difficulty but maintained his silence.

No wonder he's a Sequence 5 "Knight of Punishment"—excellent at resisting interrogation and conversation… far better than the previous ones… I wonder if damaging his frontal lobe would strip him of his last self-control… Lu Mi sighed inwardly, shifting the topic to something less critical:

"What are the prerequisites for a 'Mirror Person' to form?"

"Do all who have lived in real Trill for a long time have a corresponding 'Mirror Person,' or is contact with certain underground pollutants required?"

This was a guess based on the situation of the "Dream Festival."

Phew… Moran Avini quietly exhaled—he'd almost lost control and revealed his most vital secrets.

This question brought him a sense of relief, and he answered smoothly:

"Without the seal targeting Trill of the Fourth Era, your mirror world would contain a complete reflection of real Trill—including every person living in the city. But under the seal's presence, only those who frequently enter and exit the underground and encounter specific pollutants leave an imprint in our mirror world."

"Beyond this, our kind has other origins:

"First, the descendants of that false god—born with a corresponding 'Mirror Person,' no matter where they are or whether they've ever come to Trill;

"Second, the bloodline of certain nobles from Trill of the Fourth Era—for example, the descendants of the Tamara family. I was born this way, and this too is unaffected by location or environment."

Lu Mi and the others understood that Moran Avini's "false god" referred to Chik, the Primordial Witch who governed the mirror world; it was perfectly understandable that her offspring were closely tied to the unique mirror world.

"Why does the Tamara family's bloodline have a special connection to your mirror world? Did your ancestors suffer corresponding pollution during the 'War of the Four Emperors,' or even earlier?" Lu Mi asked thoughtfully.

Moran Avini fell silent for several seconds, then said:

"Even earlier."

"What specific pollution was involved, and why it existed—I don't know, because the era is too distant. The Tamara branch following the 'Judgment' Path, or the Tamara branch of the 'Door' Path, might preserve relevant records."

"Door" Path is another name for the "Apprentice" Path.

Lu Mi nodded, asking on behalf of Furanka and Jianna:

"Does your kind not include the 'Mirror People' of other witches?"

"They are 'Mirror People,' but not from our world," Moran Avini replied with a smile. "Of course, if they meet the conditions I mentioned earlier, corresponding witch 'Mirror People' will also be born in our mirror world."

I see… Furanka and Jianna nodded slightly; Lu Mi changed the subject:

"What are the 'Mirror People' who escaped from the underground doing now?"

His question was broad, not specifically targeting those with divinity. Moran Avini struggled briefly, then answered:

"Most remain in Trill—either using their original identities to rise in status across different industries and organizations, or hiding in shadows, secretly building power, preparing for the day they fully break the seal of Trill of the Fourth Era and enter the third layer of the mirror world—the deepest layer."

"The rest…"

Moran Avini paused, smiling at Furanka and Jianna:

"Some infiltrated witch covens, seeking the false god's hiding place in reality; others went to Lunbao, following the leader's orders to search for a certain object."

"Don't ask me if the witch coven's 'Mirror People' have made progress, or what object those in Lunbao are seeking—those aren't my domain. No one told me the details."

"I also want to find the Primordial Witch's hiding place in reality. Why not tell me all the 'Mirror People' who infiltrated the witch covens? Maybe we can cooperate," Furanka said with a radiant smile.

Moran Avini wore an expression of "The more beautiful the woman, the more she lies—I won't believe you":

"I don't even know exactly who they are. Only the leader holds all the information."

"Alright," Furanka's eyes flickered. "What is the third layer of the mirror world? By the way, we've all been to Trill of the Fourth Era, entered your special mirror world, and seen only the 'Mirror People' of the dead citizens—the reflection of that ancient city. Where are you, your kind?"

Moran Avini explained in detail:

"What you entered was likely the second layer of our mirror world—it only manifests under specific conditions, preserving the scene of Trill of the Fourth Era when it was destroyed. It's extremely dangerous, filled with unknown secrets. We live in the first layer of the mirror world—the reflection of present-day Trill."

"The first layer of the mirror world shows this current Trill?" Jianna sharply noticed a contradiction. "But you said your 'Mirror People' live in darkness, cold, and confinement."

This Trill is a major metropolis!

Moran Avini coldly laughed:

"We appear to live in a metropolis, but each of us is confined—forced to follow fixed paths, endlessly circling just a few rooms, one or two streets. Without the aid of a divine-level being, we can't even communicate with each other. We can only watch our real selves through mirrors. Also, the mirror world has no projection of sun, moon, or stars."

"You can imagine what kind of environment that is."

It was somewhat like the living state of the fake people in the painting world—but the "Mirror People" possessed self-awareness and clear cognition… No wonder they suffered… Lu Mi, recalling the absence of sun, moon, and stars in the first layer, connected it to another question and asked:

"If a Sequence 4 'Darkless' of the 'Sun' Path encounters specific underground pollution, will a corresponding 'Mirror Person' be born?"

"No," Moran Avini answered firmly.

Lu Mi eliminated more possibilities—certain potential identities of the "Mirror Person" leader.

"The 'Sun' Path really is unique—no wonder it governs purification," Furanka sincerely marveled.

She then remembered her unanswered question and urged:

"What's in the third layer of the mirror world?"

Moran Avini shook his head again:

"No one has ever entered it. We only know it exists. We know our origin, our traits, the source of our power—all point to this layer. And the 'Chaos Witch' we worship and follow—the 'Primordial Witch'—is trapped there, guarding the Truth."

Trapped there? Probably sealed there… "Guarding the Truth"—that phrasing is interesting… Lu Mi pondered and asked:

"What exactly is this 'Truth' you speak of?"

"Truth is truth," Moran Avini replied, his expression confused—as if he'd never seriously considered the question.

Seeing he had no answer, Jianna continued the topic of the relationship between "Mirror People" and reality.

She asked curiously:

"What happens to the 'Mirror Person' if the original in reality dies?"

"And vice versa?"

Moran Avini's lips curled into a twisted smile:

"Normally, if I die in reality, I die too."

"But if, before that, I'm sent into the mirror world, his death affects me very little."

"The reverse is the same: if I'm killed by an intruder while still in the mirror world, my real self only falls ill and grows weak for a while. Afterward, if he never again contacts the underground's specific pollution, no corresponding 'Mirror Person' will be born."

"If I escape to the real world and am killed, my real self feels no effect whatsoever."

Furanka hissed:

"So you didn't kill Moran Avini directly—you tried to drag him into the mirror world?"

"Yes. I waited until he'd 'enjoyed' a while of darkness, cold, confinement, and loneliness before killing him," Moran Avini smiled.

In short: the one in the mirror loses importance and doesn't affect the survival of the other—regardless of whether he's a "Mirror Person" or a real person… If both exist in reality, the "Mirror Person" is naturally at a disadvantage… Lu Mi nodded slightly, beginning to combine Moran Avini's earlier statements to speculate on the identity of the "Mirror Person" leader:

Frequently enters and exits Trill's underground, has encountered specific pollutants;

Possesses great divinity—at least Sequence 3;

Must still be alive now…

Here, Lu Mi could narrow it down no further.

He resorted to the "Conspirator" ability, placing all relevant information onto his mental network:

The "Truth School's" "Overseer" held a ritual and communicated with the leader of the "Mirror People";

The "Truth School" was searching for Rosel Gustav's final tomb;

They had made significant discoveries—the vortex was about to form…

Suddenly, Lu Mi had a flash of insight—a wildly implausible guess.

He couldn't be certain, because one premise seemed invalid.

He stepped forward two paces, leaned close to Moran Avini's ear, and whispered a name.

Moran Avini's face changed drastically—shocked, terrified.

Lu Mi pulled back, his expression grave as he exhaled.

"You figured out who the leader of the 'Mirror People' is?" Furanka asked.

Lu Mi nodded slightly, glanced around, and said solemnly:

"Yes. I know who He is."

"He is Rosel Gustav of the mirror!"

(End of Chapter)