"Cheating?" Master Mirror's expression turned cold, and he grabbed Olgierd's hair fiercely. "I never cheat!"
The cold moonlight shone on the man and the demon, and then was blocked by a vortex of dark clouds that appeared from nowhere, and the surroundings fell into darkness for a while. But Olgierd suddenly became the only light source in the darkness, and green energy continued to escape from his facial features and poured into the mouth of Master Mirror.
That little bit of light was Olgierd's soul and his life. Every time it disappeared, he felt more painful, and every time it disappeared, he became older.
He began to scream heartbreakingly, and Master Mirror responded with a satisfied laugh.
The contract had been fulfilled, and the Master Mirror was about to claim his property.
That's how things seemed to develop.
But there was another person at the scene - Lann.
And what was Lann doing at the moment?
He was recalling.
Recalling the conversation that Master Mirror had had with him, and the suffering he had experienced.
[How could the battle for revenge of the last prince of the fallen kingdom be as exciting as the witcher's battle to save his family members? I've always been waiting for more new topics to appear in you. These are all touching stories that I can share in other worlds!]
Thomas Moreau, whom he met in Toussaint, the near-death experience during the witcher's mutation, Swade sacrificing himself in battle, and many more scenes came back to Lann's mind.
It seemed that all the suffering he had experienced could be attributed to the Master Mirror's head.
Of course, it was unreasonable to think this way. But with the Master Mirror hiding in the sky and watching him from somewhere all the time, how could Lan feel at ease? Who knows when the Master Mirror, who likes to direct dramas, will be in the mood to create difficulties for himself?
After all, only when the protagonist of a story has gone through torturous trials and won in the end, does the story become legendary and valuable enough to 'share'.
The Master Mirror may have helped him, but he is definitely not his friend.
So for the choice at the end of the 'Heart of Stone' task series, Lann had already made his final decision in his heart.
He was going to use this opportunity to expel the Master Mirror from this world.
"Stop!"
Lann suddenly shouted, abruptly stopping the Master Mirror from absorbing Olgierd's soul.
"You said that if I help you complete this task, you will give me a reward, right? Then Olgierd is the reward I want, let him go!"
This sentence made the Master Mirror pause, and he showed a surprised expression for the first time. Olgierd had already been dying, and he finally got a little breath and breathed back.
The Master Mirror looked at Lann in disbelief. "You want Olgierd as your reward? You want to protect him?"
Lann nodded.
The Master Mirror's eyes suddenly turned into a black hole-like color, and his skin also showed a blue-gray color like death. His voice became hideous and terrifying, like an echo in the abyss.
"Do you know what his debt means to me? Are you coveting my property? You want to protect him, and refuse my friendship because of him?"
Lann shook his head. "I don't want to protect Olgierd. On the contrary, if you hand him over to me, I will kill him."
The Master Mirror was stunned. The darkness in his eyes suddenly disappeared, returning to normal, and his skin regained its healthy color.
He looked him up and down, beginning to ponder. A smile gradually returned to his face, and his eyes showed a light of appreciation.
"Ah, Lann, Lann, I seem to have guessed what you are thinking. Wonderful Lann, surprising Lann, have you started to think about things from this perspective in such a short time?"
"I'm beginning to wonder where that discordant quality in you comes from. What dimension did you come from, a wretch who entered this world by mistake?" The Master Mirror crossed his hands over his chest, displaying a businessman-like attitude.
"I have carefully prepared a gift for you. Don't beat around the bush and tell me your purpose."
Lane nodded. "It's very simple. Now Olgierd is my bargaining chip. I use him as a bet and challenge you. If you win, Olgierd will be yours; if I win, you will leave this world and never come back."
"You want to... expel me?"
Lann shrugged. "I tried to put it in a euphemistic way, but it's okay if you understand it this way."
There was no anger on the face of the Master Mirror. Ever since he knew Lann's purpose, he has always had an expression of tolerance and expectation on his face. Until this moment, his excitement seemed to have reached its peak.
He laughed even happier than when he completed the contract with Olgierd.
"Hahaha! Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!"
"Excellent, Lann, excellent! I didn't expect you to put forward such a demand, I really didn't expect it! This is the first time you've given me another first time!"
"A challenge? Very good! If you complete this challenge, I will not only give you Olgierd, but also give you the gift I have prepared for you, and the gift I will prepare for you in the future!"
"But if you fail..." The Master Mirror's eyes widened, and his body began to be invaded by darkness. With his body as the center, Lann's vision was gradually shrouded by darkness.
"If you fail, then I will start our journey together in advance."
...
The cold, hard sensation was transmitted from below. A soft, sharp sound of wind surrounded him.
Lann's consciousness gradually returned.
When he opened his eyes, what he saw was a familiar scene, a stage within a game from his past life. A place where Lann had died countless times.
In front of him was still the same temple, and beneath his feet was still the lunar platform made of black river stones and white quartz. However, Olgierd had already disappeared, and everything around him seemed as ancient as if an eternity had passed.
The sky was grey and overcast, the trees around him were dry and broken. The only thing that remained unchanged were the countless passages that stretched out behind him, towards unknown destinations.
"Lann, if you want to play, then let's play - welcome to my mirror world!"
A deep voice echoed from the top of the temple, as if the entire heavens were speaking at this moment. One could vaguely make out that it was the voice of the Master Mirror, but the sense of oppression surpassed any natural disaster or calamity Lann had ever known.
"I will present you with a riddle. If you solve it, you will be granted your freedom and all the gifts I offer you. If you wish, I can even return Olgierd to you."
"Freedom?" Lann sneered without surprise. "You give me freedom? But I don't seem to be putting myself on the table, right?"
"Equivalent exchange, Lann." The whole sky seemed to mock. "You want to expel me, this is not a weight that Olgierd can bear. But although you are ignorant, I am still very considerate to help you raise the stakes."
The devil showed his greedy claws.
"Then, please listen to my riddle next..."
"I am connected to everything, but I am occasionally despised by the world.
I can make people lose their minds in the palm of my hand, and what can swords, guns, sticks and clubs do to me?
Young people dance with joy when they see me, and the elderly look sad when they see me, and the beauties look around and linger but stop.
When you are sad, I sigh, when you are tired, I get tired, when you are happy, I forget myself, and I am the same as you."
Master Mirror recited this riddle with a rhythm like chanting a poem, and the wind in the air was swirling with music at this moment.
At the same time, a huge hourglass appeared in the sky, and the sand began to slide down just as Master Mirror finished speaking.
"Did you hear it clearly? Do you need me to repeat the riddle again?"
Lann pointed to the hourglass in the sky. "If you repeat it again, will the hourglass in the sky stop?"
The Master Mirror said as a matter of course: "Of course not." He laughed. "I am hiding in the answer to this riddle, come find me, Lann!"
The sky suddenly became even gloomier, and several shadows fell. In the distance, the growls of monsters could be heard, clearly the Master Mirror had increased the difficulty.
But everything is under Lann's control.
This scenario was one that Lann had explored countless times. It was the Master Mirror's Realm of Rumination, filled with treasures. Finding these treasures in the limited time was something Lann had planned for.
---
I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
---