Chapter 977: The Hardworking Magic Mirror

Late at night, Dechuang Garden, Room 2303.

Lumian, Furan Ka, and Yu Jianna sat side by side on the long sofa, before them the ancient-patterned silver mirror with a black gem on each side.

Anthony had taken Ludwig out for late-night snacks, politely avoiding the interrogation session with the mirror Arodes.

Of course, they had already discussed and decided which questions to ask, focusing primarily on two areas: Chalatustra’s current condition and matters related to the Dream City.

They listed over twenty questions, but considering the limitations imposed by the dream subconscious, they believed it impossible to keep asking endlessly until every doubt was answered by the mirror Arodes; they suspected the mirror could answer only a limited number of questions per session or per day, just as normal “Mirror Divination” allowed only three questions, so Lumian reordered the questions, placing the most important and critical ones at the front.

“Shall we begin?” Yu Jianna turned her head to look at Lumian.

Lumian nodded and said calmly:

“I’ll go first.”

“No, we take turns—you can’t bear all the mirror’s questions alone,” Fanka emphasized. “It has to be fair!”

She felt she should also make a sacrifice; she couldn’t keep letting Lumian face Arodes’ terrifying questions.

Lumian glanced at her:

“Fine, you go first.”

Fanka took a breath and looked at the mirror Arodes:

“Great Arodes, may I ask you a question?”

Since they had already rented the mirror from Star Dream General Store, she bypassed the mystical ritual protocol and asked directly.

The surface of the ancient silver mirror instantly darkened, as if sinking into lightless water, and rows of blood-red ancient Fussak words began to form:

“I may answer any question you pose, but you must answer an equal number of mine, in the presence of at least one witness.

“Refusal to answer or lying will bring punishment.”

Fanka recalled the list of questions and carefully chose her words:

“My question is: What are the current manifestations of Chalatustra’s extraordinary abilities in the Dream City?”

This was the question their team most wanted answered.

Last night, while reviewing surveillance footage and overhearing conversations, Lumian had confirmed only one thing:

Chalatustra’s ability to summon images from historical fissures had severe limitations—he did not use historical projections to replace himself at all times, hiding instead within historical mist; before opening the door for Jia Yu, he pulled his past self from a historical fissure, and for nearly fifteen minutes afterward, it was that historical projection that conversed with Jia Yu.

Based on this, Lumian deduced that Chalatustra used historical projections to substitute himself only when in danger or facing someone problematic; as for disguising a puppet as his true body, Lumian believed the Level 7 “Faceless” ability was unlikely to achieve this, though a similar ability descended from Level 2 to Level 7 might.

The blood-dripping ancient Fussak words on the mirror’s surface writhed and shifted, revealing row after row:

“Chalatustra can currently control two puppets; the initial control of a target via ‘Spiritual Threads’ lasts 20 seconds, full puppetization takes 1 minute 30 seconds;

“His control range over puppets is 50 meters; he can swap positions with a puppet; puppets may use their own abilities and also borrow all of his, but all remain at Level 7;

“He can maintain only one historical fissure image at a time, including persons, objects, scenes, and spirituality;

“The duration he can sustain a historical fissure image of an angelic rank is 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on his closeness to or understanding of the target; if he summons his past Level 1 self, it lasts 1 minute 30 seconds; if he summons his past Level 2 self, it lasts 3 minutes; for those below angelic rank, the maximum is 15 minutes; for others, objects, or scenes below angelic rank, durations range from 2 to 10 minutes;

“His ‘Shapeshifting’ ability allows puppets to impersonate him perfectly, surpassing any makeup effect, yet careful scrutiny can still reveal distinctions and confirm authenticity;

“He can also ‘Wish,’ creating miracles whose effects remain restricted to Level 7;

“His past Level 1 self can restore the ‘Spiritual Threads’ of the dead or certain objects, thereby puppetizing them; consuming puppetized food causes contamination and gradual puppetization;

“His past Level 1 self can also ‘Graft’ entities or abstract concepts that normally cannot directly connect, combining them to achieve astonishing effects—though these astonishing effects remain confined to Level 7;

“His past Level 1 self can warp space-time to create a ‘Secret Realm’ surpassing the ‘Vessel of Fiction,’ possessing secrecy;

“...

“His air tube is twenty meters long and may help him avoid areas thick with mystical pathogens.”

The mirror Arodes described all of Chalatustra’s abilities and their current manifestations, causing the blood-dripping words on its surface to change several times.

Yet it still gave insufficient detail on Level 2 and Level 1 abilities, mentioning them only briefly.

To awaken the Fool, this mirror truly worked hard… Fanka, after reading carefully, muttered inwardly.

Lumian recalled the historical projection of Chalatustra who had conversed with Jia Yu.

Given their conversation lasted nearly fifteen minutes, Lumian deduced it was an image from Chalatustra’s past before he became an angel.

This also indicated Chalatustra was not a born mythic being, but had ascended step by step from lower ranks.

After displaying Chalatustra’s current abilities, the blood-red words on the ancient silver mirror changed again:

“According to the principle of equivalence, it is now my turn to ask.

“If you answer incorrectly, lie, or refuse, you will be punished.”

Fanka clenched her teeth and nodded.

What could they not know about me? Nothing to fear!

On the mirror, new words began forming into sentences:

“After entering the Dream City, did you ever consider taking advantage of Yu Jianna’s absence to do something with Lumian?”

Fuck, that cuts deep… Fanka dared not look at Yu Jianna, squeezing out a single word through gritted teeth:

“Yes…”

She immediately added:

“Only occasionally thinking about it—not acting on it! This is the Fool’s dream; how could I dare do anything inappropriate? If the Fool’s subconscious remembers it, I’ll be socially dead!”

Lumian glanced at Fanka’s rapid speech and Yu Jianna’s silence, suspecting the mirror Arodes intended not only to embarrass Fanka but also to help Yu Jianna process the “Pain” Elixir.

To awaken the Fool, it’s really pushing itself…

Fanka finally finished, gathered courage, and looked at Yu Jianna, receiving an encouraging smile and a slight nod in return.

Lumian took Fanka’s place and spoke:

“Second question: Has Chalatustra discovered my surveillance?”

The ancient silver mirror, its two black gems like eyes, displayed new blood-red words:

“Chalatustra sensed someone spying on the mirror objects, but did not know who; he also knew of the pinhole cameras and listening devices, because one of his subordinates is a Level 8 ‘Fortune Teller’ living next door, capable of puppetizing mosquitoes to hide in the room and observe.”

So, when I had been cautious and burned all spiritual entities in Chalatustra’s room with ‘Destruction Fire,’ I made him alert to an intruder; afterward, through covert inspection, he discovered the pinhole cameras and listening devices? But because his puppet had died, he only knew someone had entered his room, not who… Lumian immediately analyzed the key information hidden in the mirror Arodes’ answer.

Simultaneously, he suspected Chalatustra knew Huang Zong had concealed the spying on mirror objects and chose not to expose it immediately.

Also, Chalatustra, fully aware of the surveillance, still invited Jia Yu into his room for secret talks—to mislead us into thinking Jia Yu was important and divert our attention there? But his interest in Jia Yu was not impulsive; it had begun before I spied on his hotel room… Was he aware that deep contact with Jia Yu carried hidden danger, and without certain details, he risked being expelled from the dream? Was he deliberately revealing his intent to make us step on the trap? Lumian’s thoughts swirled; Chalatustra the ‘Fortune Teller’ was as cunning as a ‘Conspirator,’ filled with plots and schemes.

Now that he knew Chalatustra had detected his spying and had been acting all along, Lumian could design targeted operational plans.

The ‘Witches’ had ways and abilities to evade the ‘Fortune Teller’s’ danger sense!

After answering, the mirror Arodes displayed the standard prompt, then posed a question to Lumian:

“Do you love Fanka and Yu Jianna, or do you value them?”

Lumian paused for a second and said:

“I value them.”

After a few seconds of silence in the sofa area, Yu Jianna shifted forward slightly and said:

“It’s my turn to ask.”

Lumian and Fanka both nodded.

Yu Jianna recalled the prepared question list and looked at the ancient silver mirror:

“Third question: Who was the previous renter of you?”

The blood-dripping words on the mirror’s surface vanished instantly, leaving only a faint shimmer of waterlight.

After several seconds, the deep, dark mirror surface revealed a few characters—unique to the Dream City—pale as death:

“Peng Deng.”

Peng Deng? The man who rented the mirror Arodes for 220,000 for a day was Peng Deng? Lumian, Fanka, and Yu Jianna were all stunned.

(End of Chapter)