Chapter 5: The Escaped Ones
Gu Xi didn't know what was happening behind him, but he quickly lowered his head. Suddenly, there was a loud crash from behind, and a massive rock swung down like a pendulum, smashing into the black-robed cultists.
The rock, weighing several tons, had somehow been flung into the air, instantly knocking out the black-robed cultists at the forefront and killing about a dozen on the spot.
At that moment, another voice called out from behind Gu Xi.
"Over here, come this way!"
Gu Xi looked up and saw a gaunt young man peeking out from nearby, waving frantically at him.
Curious, Gu Xi hesitated for a moment, but the sound of black-robed cultists moving the rock behind him spurred him into action. He immediately ran towards the young man.
After just a couple of steps, Gu Xi realized the young man was hiding in a passageway behind a wall. If the man hadn't revealed himself, Gu Xi would never have noticed the passage.
Without further thought, Gu Xi rushed over, and the young man grabbed his hand, pulling him into the passage.
As Gu Xi was being dragged along, he noticed that the young man's arm was emaciated, almost skin and bones, with several bite marks.
The young man didn't react much to this, leading the way while pressing hidden mechanisms on the walls.
Though Gu Xi couldn't see what was happening, he could hear the sound of walls shifting behind him.
Unsure of what was going on, Gu Xi stayed alert, ready to signal Luna for an attack if the young man tried anything suspicious.
They ran for over thirty meters, taking several turns, and arrived in a small room about seven or eight square meters in size.
Upon entering, Gu Xi saw four or five men and women inside, all looking thin and weak. They sat listlessly but with anger and murderous intent in their eyes.
Taking a closer look at their posture, Gu Xi exclaimed in surprise.
"Aren't you..."
"Yes, we were in the cell next to yours. I'm Jack, Little Flea Jack. When you escaped, you tossed the keys to us."
The young man, now identified as Jack, explained the situation to Gu Xi.
"So it's you. Good that you escaped. But why didn't you leave?"
Realizing these were fellow captives, Gu Xi felt slightly relieved but was still puzzled by their presence in such a hidden room. It didn't seem like something they could have excavated themselves.
"Oh, those who wanted to leave have already escaped. We stayed because we know a secret. Sir, you're an adventurer, right?"
Jack looked at Gu Xi mysteriously.
"Yes, a necromancer."
As Gu Xi spoke, Luna's face emerged from behind him, her hollow eyes startling everyone present.
Jack quickly reassured them, "Sir, please, we mean no harm. These people stayed with me because we know a secret. That's why we were captured."
Hearing this, Gu Xi's eyes narrowed. He had been imprisoned here for so long, almost failing to complete his profession change. He had been looking for a chance to take revenge ever since.
Now, hearing this news excited him.
"What reason?"
"Those people discovered the Mirror Dungeon. We were meant to be sacrifices to open the Mirror Gate."
Jack spoke proudly, expecting to see shock on Gu Xi's face.
But Gu Xi had no idea what the Mirror Dungeon was. He had come to this world solely to become a necromancer. According to his previous experiences, he just needed to find a suitable undead in a graveyard to contract and complete his profession change. Then he could leave this world without bothering to learn about its background.
Jack's revelation meant nothing to Gu Xi.
Seeing no reaction from Gu Xi, Jack thought he wasn't impressed and continued explaining.
"Sir, when I was first captured, the cell next to mine held an architect. He never gave up trying to escape, even planning to dig a tunnel. I helped him a bit, but his efforts were too noticeable, and he was severely beaten. If I hadn't occasionally given him water, he would have died sooner. Before he died, he told me he found unusual bricks while digging. Based on his knowledge, this place should be the legendary Mirror Dungeon."
Jack emphasized the term "Mirror Dungeon," but Gu Xi still didn't get it.
"What's wrong with the Mirror Dungeon?"
Jack sighed, realizing Gu Xi truly didn't understand. He and the others then explained the Mirror Dungeon to Gu Xi.
The Mirror Dungeon was a legend of Victoria City. About three hundred years ago, during the Stuart Dynasty, King James I sacrificed the entire city of Victoria to an unknown entity to secure his throne. After ascending the throne, he didn't want to give up the city, so he replicated Victoria City with the Victoria Tower as the core, creating an exact duplicate. He offered the duplicate to the unknown entity and used a mirror method to banish the entity and the duplicate to another dimension.
Since then, the duplicate city had become the backdrop for Victoria City's ghost stories. In various true and false legends, the only confirmed detail was that the only way to enter the banished duplicate city was through an opposing structure, the Mirror Dungeon.
The black-robed cultists were followers of the unknown entity. They captured Gu Xi and others to open the Mirror Dungeon's passage to the duplicate city and release their deity.