The Witcher: Lord of the Empire

A gargoyle formed from black mist appeared in front of Lann, then began pulling sharp stones out of the ground and throwing them at him.

Lann rolled to dodge the attack. He then activated [Quen Sign] for protection and [Yrden Sign] to interfere, easily breaking through the obstacles as he continued towards the church.

“I'm not ruthless like you say, I just know that's not Triss.” Lann said coldly: “This also serves to remind me not to let Triss fall into this situation in the future.”

“And your attitude reinforces my decision to expel you, Master Mirror.”

"Hahaha, okay. Come find me." Master Mirror laughed loudly. "I'm here, you're very close. I and the gift I prepared for you are also here, I can't wait!"

Lann crashed through the church doors, rolling all the way up the long steps.

At the end of the hallway, there was a huge mirror with a red glow on its surface that reflected Lann's exhausted and agitated face.

"It seems reasonable for Master Mirror to hide in the mirror."

The ground under his feet suddenly cracked, and Lan lost his footing and fell downwards.

Obviously, Master Mirror did not give Lann the opportunity to touch the mirror.

"Can I accuse you of cheating?" Lann screamed as he fell, his back pressed against the tunnel.

"I never cheat!" The voice in the sky shouted without giving in. "You don't think the game is really that easy!"

The falling momentum stopped quickly. After Lann stabilized his body, he looked up and saw a ruin in front of him.

One platform after another rose on the rugged ground, and on each platform stood a mirror taller than a person.

"Your answer is very close~ But guess, which mirror am I in?"

Hearing the mockery from the backdrop, Lann smiled slightly. He ignored the mirrors and turned his gaze towards the center of the underground platform.

There was a dried-up fountain there.

That was Lann's real goal.

The hourglass in the sky had about a quarter left, but Lann no longer planned to waste any more time with the Master Mirror.

"I am connected to everything, and sometimes I am despised by the world.

The palm of my hand can make people lose their minds, and what can swords, guns, sticks and clubs do to me.

Young people are excited to see me, older people are worried, ladies stop in admiration.

When you are sad, I sigh, when you are tired, I get tired, when you are happy, I forget myself, I am the same as you."

Lann repeated the riddle while running and passed by a mirror on the way.

When he was five steps away from the mirror, the mirror surface seemed to be hit by an invisible hammer and broke into pieces.

Lann knew that every mirror would become like this when he approached, because the Master Mirror was not in it at all.

These are all tricks to give hope to those who have only a vague understanding of the riddle, so that they run around to find the mirror that does not exist at all and hides the Master Mirror, wasting time in vain, and finally having their souls taken away.

"'Mirror' is actually very close to the answer, or it is part of the answer."

"But the answer is not 'mirror', but 'mirror surface', or 'everything that can reflect'!"

Lann ran to the fountain, which had long been dry, but the channel connecting to the groundwater was still there.

And "water" is also one of the "mirrors", which is the real answer to this riddle!

The witcher's senses were turned on, and the moist air was rendered with glowing colors in Lann's eyes.

Following intuition toward the brightest spot, Lann extended his left hand and formed a sign. A huge wave of telekinetic energy gathered in his palm.

[Aard Sign]!

With a rumble, the long-repressed groundwater erupted. Lann was thrown back by the impact, before falling to the ground.

Rising somewhat awkwardly, Lann peered anxiously beneath the surface of the water.

He saw that his greaves were submerged in the water, creating ripples. When the ripples calmed down, the surface of the water became a huge mirror, reflecting two different worlds.

Instead of reflecting Lann's greaves, the image beneath the water was a leather boot. Below it were brown trousers, a yellow linen shirt, black gloves, and a head with an expression that resembled a smile.

The reflection underwater was the Master Mirror.

Lann bowed without hesitation, extending his hand downwards. Master Mirror also made the same motion underwater, wearing an interested smile as he extended his hand towards Lann.

Their hands were superimposed and holding onto each other.

"Got you!"*2.

Master Mirror imitated Lann, as if he were playing a child's game. Then he laughed heartily: "Hahaha, wonderful, Lann, so wonderful! You guessed the answer and completed the game!"

He seemed to not care about his failure, and even felt happy and delighted for Lann's success.

“That's right, I won this bet.” Lann replied. "So according to the agreement, you have to leave this world now."

Master Mirror nodded without hesitation. "Of course, this is the agreement."

He held Lann's hand without letting go.

Beneath Lann's feet, the reflection in the water gradually transformed into endless darkness.

The Master Mirror's eyes turned glassy, ​​with an amber glow in the depths; the vitality in his face disappeared, his skin became rough with deep grey veins.

At this moment, he finally revealed some of his true face.

"The contract is not just about me leaving this world, but also about the gift I give you. I am faithfully abiding by our agreement!"

The Master Mirror squeezed Lann's hand, and with a tug, he was dragged into the world of reflection. The infinite darkness also spread out, unfurling tentacles towards Lann.

[Boom!]

The moment darkness enveloped him, Lann's brain became a complete void. He felt as if huge waves were enveloping him from all directions.

Every part of his body was being bombarded with immense energy, and every point of impact became a valve for a massive amount of energy to flow into him.

“Although there were some detours during the process, the final result is still as I imagined. But that’s okay, some surprises make the work complete. True rare treasures are born from the unexpected.”

The Master Mirror, arms crossed, looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction and commented: “Spectacular.”

Then he slowly stepped back, and a bright light suddenly appeared in the endless darkness behind him.

It was like the first ray of light emitted when a star was born, and it was like the last ray of afterglow diffused on the day when the sun died. It was a stimulation that would burn the eyes of ordinary people at the first sight.

The mirror master waved his hand to block the dazzling light for Lann, and then waved his hand again, and suddenly created a mirror in front of Lann.

He whistled a cheerful tune, as if he didn't care at all about the fact that he would soon be 'expelled' according to the agreement with Lann. He seemed to be enjoying every moment of it.

“Look at yourself, Lann, look at yourself well.”

“Observe your expression, your gaze, and what is hidden behind those eyes.”

“Did you think it was just me in the mirror? No, look here, this is the real you! The one who doesn’t fit in anywhere, who doesn’t care about anything, and who treats everything like a game.”

The Master Mirror continued to retreat, until its body began to be absorbed by the light that broke through the darkness. Its figure became filled with spots of fire, caught fire, and finally disintegrated into ashes.

His unhinged laughter and screams echoed through space, like an endless echo.

"This world belongs to you, Lann. Control it, chew it, absorb it, and let it become your power!"

“We will meet again. I look forward to the day when you reach your full potential. I will wait for you in the confines of time and space!”

...

Lann was still hovering in the air.

He could clearly hear the Master Mirror's voice, clearly see his reflection in the mirror in front of him and feel the energy flowing incessantly in his body.

Pain!

That was the only sensation Lann felt at that moment. Pain so intense that it almost made him lose consciousness, similar to what he experienced during his mutation in Toussaint. However, something inside him, like an invisible hand, kept his sanity on the edge of the abyss, forcing him to experience every change in his body.

Time passed by minute by minute, as the darkness completely eroded him, as more and more energy poured into his body, it seemed that something was awakened from his blood.

A key was inserted into Lann's consciousness at this moment.

Lann gently touched the key, and the huge amount of energy in his body seemed to have found an outlet at this moment. His pupils suddenly turned snow-white, and countless images flashed in his mind like slides that were accelerated countless times.

He saw skeletal knights passing through death and plague, spreading fear with their swords, axes and chains. A frozen world, where death and glaciers reigned eternally.

He also saw fire falling from the sky, tearing through the clouds and chasing a majestic one-horned steed. He saw steel vehicles crossing deserts, dodging beams of light that were brandished as weapons by his enemies.

And much more: warriors who used their roars as weapons, hunters who slipped through the claws of monsters, elders who fought to survive between the cracks of time, and brave men who broke the barriers between life and death.

Countless worlds appeared in front of Lann, and each world stretched out a hand to pull him, beg him, and even demand him.

At present, Lann did not know how much impact his change would bring.

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