Lord of The Mysterious Realms Chapter 944

The horizon was swiftly swallowed by thick fog. The old man stood at the edge of the water, staring ahead with a vacant gaze.

A sword suddenly erupted from the sea, pointing toward the sky. Then, a man launched himself from beneath the waves as if taking flight, driving the blade straight through the old man's chest.

Jenkins's face was pale, and he was drenched to the bone. His body shuddered with pain, so much so that he could barely keep a grip on his sword. But the White Bone Holy Sword still struck with brutal accuracy, sinking deep into Mirror Oliver's chest. There was no need to even twist the blade; the destructive power it carried instantly annihilated his internal organs.

Mirror Oliver offered no resistance. He leaned on his cane with his right hand, his left tucked behind his back, his posture still hunched. His eyes met Jenkins's, calm and deep, holding what looked like the darkest ocean and the most terrifying abyss.

Jenkins cried out instinctively, but immediately groaned in pain. The sound of shattering glass signified his victory, but it was a victory that felt utterly baffling.

The mirror image of Papa Oliver was terrifyingly real. Jenkins couldn't fathom what kind of repressed emotions and obsessions his mentor harbored to manifest a reflection with such horrifying power. At the antique shop, Papa Oliver had never revealed such a side. In Jenkins's eyes, his teacher had always been a cheerful, good-natured man.

But no matter how terrifying the reflection had been, it was over. As the whispers started to fade in, Jenkins was already lying limply on the sand, every muscle in his body screaming in protest.

The massive explosion Papa Oliver had triggered moments ago had nearly cost him his life. If he hadn't leaped into the sea the very instant it detonated, his shredded body might not have even had time for [Undying Man] to activate.

He collapsed onto his back, sprawling on the sand, letting the tide surge over him and then retreat. His muscles ached so fiercely he couldn't even lift a finger, and his eyelids felt as heavy as lead.

He knew he couldn't fall asleep here. The Mirror Realm was teeming with dangerous creatures. But his mind could no longer command his exhausted body. He tried to rally his spirit, to force himself to move, but his eyes slid inexorably shut. His consciousness drifted downward, finally sinking into a comforting darkness.

"I'm so sorry... Sheffield, Capello, Stevel... I'm truly sorry..."

This was the only part of the whisper he could make out. And if Jenkins recalled correctly, that would make him Papa Oliver's fourth apprentice.

Chocolate came running.

The crackle of firewood filled his ears. Jenkins would always recognize the feel of Chocolate's tail brushing against his cheek. His body still ached, but it was a definite improvement from before he'd lost consciousness. Still, his eyelids felt heavy as he forced them open.

He gripped the sofa and tried to push himself up, but a dizzy spell nearly sent him tumbling back down. He found himself in an unfamiliar apartment, where a fire blazed in the hearth, bathing the room in light and warmth.

Chocolate meowed, an enthusiastic greeting that also woke Miss Knight and Miss Capet, who had been resting nearby.

He glanced out the window. Through the swirling mist, he could make out the street below. It was daytime, clearly, but he had no idea what day it was.

"It's Tuesday, one thirty-five in the afternoon."

Miss Knight, seeming to read his mind, succinctly gave him the time.

"So I slept through the morning."

That was acceptable. Recovering this much from just half a day of sleep meant his body was already on the mend.

Jenkins wasn't surprised his companions had found him. The massive explosion set off by Mirror Oliver had hardly been subtle. He figured anyone in the area who wasn't deaf would have heard it.

According to Miss Capet, however, Chocolate had already been by his side when she reached the shore. Man and cat were surrounded by a ring of fish and crabs.

"Your cat probably thought you were dead, so it gathered some food as an offering."

Miss Knight quipped. Of the four of them, she knew Jenkins best, so her tone was more relaxed.

In truth, Chocolate was just getting lunch ready for Jenkins to cook when he woke up. It had been worried about him, but once it realized he was only sleeping, its thoughts had naturally turned to food.

The huntress, Miss Woefield, was nowhere to be seen. In the corner of the room, however, lay the corpse of a lion. Its head had been crushed, making for a gruesome sight. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on NovelHub(.)net

"Where's Miss Woefield? You haven't found her yet?"

He asked as he took the roasted fish Miss Capet offered him—one of the fruits of Chocolate's foraging.

"After I found you, I brought you and your cat to the clock tower to meet up with everyone."

Miss Capet nibbled on her own fish, her manners far more refined than Jenkins's or the cat's.

"We then ran into a monster taller than the clock tower, so we had to hide in the sewers. That's where we found this talking lion..."

Jenkins remembered then. This lion was part of the circus. He'd seen it fighting alongside its tamer back in Bel Diran.

"It mistook us for pursuers from the Orthodox Church and attacked us in the sewers. The thing is..."

Swallowing a small bite of fish, Miss Capet gestured for Miss Knight, who wasn't eating, to continue the story.

"The thing is, it's not a lion. It's a cursed human, and a level 7 at that. The three of us, even with your cat's help, were no match for him. Finally, Miss Woefield risked using a mirror to try and send him to another reflection, but something went wrong, and she fell through instead. That gave us an opening, though. I used Dragon's Roar to stun him, and that's how we finally managed to subdue the lion."

Since the others hadn't followed the huntress through, it meant the mirror portal was no longer usable. Jenkins sincerely hoped nothing bad had happened to their missing companion. They had worked together for a long time. She might have charged a steep price, but her intelligence had always been invaluable to him.

"So you killed the lion?"

The roasted fish was delicious. The women had found some seasoning somewhere, and even Chocolate, who was usually only mildly interested in fish, was quietly devouring its share.