The black sun hangs high

Chapter 157 Substitute
Even just from a visual perspective, Hughes could already sense the changes in the messenger in the mirror.

Both the mirror itself and the "furnishings" inside the recess it inhabits are changing in a more detailed and specific direction. Although the figure and face of the mirror messenger are still dominated by black shadows, Hugh can now recognize the clothes on its body.

That's the outfit I wear most often since I came into this world.

What surprised Hugh even more was that the desk used by the messenger in the mirror exuded a strong sense of familiarity.

Hughes examined it carefully and then realized that the desk was neither the old desk he used in Ernst’s old house, nor the style he had seen after arriving at Ernst Manor—this desk belonged to his past.

This was the very desk he used to face every day after get off work.

Except for the absence of a computer, the rest of the furnishings are exactly the same.

He remembered that in the left corner of the desk were two potted green plants with tenacious vitality, while on the right there was always a stack of unread books. Next to the stack of books were some picture frames as decorations. For a time, Hugh had a fondness for collecting old objects and old propaganda posters, so those picture frames contained some pictures and portraits that were almost forgotten by the times.

These were all things he used to love. When he felt lost in life and work, he liked to stare at these objects and daydream.

He recalled that when a friend came to his house, he jokingly said that he was like an "old-fashioned relic" in some ways.

Therefore, when Hughes looked at the figure sitting behind such a desk, he felt as if his past and present had merged in the messenger in the mirror.

The feeling was strange, as if Hugh Ernst had unintentionally visited his own home in another time and space.

In addition, another extremely striking change appeared on the second groove of the metal disc.

Hughes discovered that this time, more than one groove had been "activated".

In the six slots of the second layer, the arthropod mutation of the Touch of Calron occupied one, the Palace Hound and Hound's Fang occupied the second, and now, the mutation of the Mirror Messenger has taken over three of them!

In other words, at the current stage, there is only one slot that Hugh can "fill".

Without exception, all three grooves are connected to the "room" of the messenger in the mirror, and the magical threads connecting them appear particularly dark, as if they are extensions of a pitch-black mist. One groove is relatively clear, and it is barely possible to see that it is an empty room, but the mist in the other two is particularly thick, making it difficult for Hugh to see what is inside.

"You really like to be different in everything you do..."

Upon seeing this, Hughes sighed as he looked at the messenger in the mirror.

Faced with Hugh's questioning, the Mirror Messenger appeared extremely calm and proud. It maintained its smile, stood up from behind the desk, and turned to walk directly to the door of the room.

Soon, its figure appeared directly in one of the grooves on the second floor.

The dark mist in the groove flickered continuously before finally subsiding completely after a while.

Then Hugh saw that the Messenger in the Mirror was standing quietly in the center of the groove. Its "clothing" had not changed much from before, but this time, Hugh saw many black tentacles slowly extending from behind it, which were clearly imitations of the Touch of Calron!
Before Hugh could react, the hands of the messenger in the mirror immediately transformed into black claws. It even waved them lightly twice to show that it understood how to use them.

That wasn't all. Soon after, Hugh saw the messenger in the mirror remove the claws from its palm. Then, it raised its palm and snapped its fingers, mimicking Hugh's usual magic tricks.

A magical flame appeared at the fingertips of the messenger in the mirror. Although it was very faint and existed in the form of a shadow, Hugh still understood what it wanted to express.

"It seems like I have an extra body double?"

Hughes curiously examined the mirror image that was imitating him, then his gaze shifted to the "room" next door.

The mist in the second groove was slightly less dense than that in the third. As the magic condensed and concentrated, Hugh could barely make out what was in this groove—a mask seemed to be floating there, but it was not very clear.

As for the third groove, no matter how hard Hugh tried, he couldn't see what was inside.

Clearly, it will likely take more time for the Mirror Messenger to enter the next two slots and acquire their power.

However, for Hugh, the growth of the Mirror Messenger has already brought him enough benefit and help.

"Alright, I happen to have nothing to do tonight... let me see what you're really capable of."

……

All the Votel military personnel stationed in Brownhill were not originally expected to have independent housing.

However, Hugh's situation was somewhat special. In order to ensure the normal operation of the field hospital's protective rituals, he and the other mages needed to be as close as possible to their work sites so that they could maintain and inspect the rituals at any time.

This granted them some minor privileges.

For example, they are now able to stay in some houses left behind by the former residents of Brownhill Town. Although the environment is still simple, it is definitely a privilege during wartime.

This environment now gives Hugh the opportunity to freely test his new abilities.

Almost the entire night, Hughes was constantly testing the new powers that the Messenger in the Mirror had given him.

If someone happens to visit this house, they will be horrified to discover that there are two Hughes living in this room at the same time.

At this moment, Hugh was facing another version of himself. He was sitting in a chair, while the "avatar" created by the Mirror Messenger was sitting on the bed opposite him. The two were identical in clothing, appearance and movements, which gave Hugh the illusion that he was looking in a mirror, and that the other version of himself had stepped out of the mirror world and come to stand in front of him.

After a series of experiments, Hugh has now basically confirmed the function and characteristics of the mirror image's clone.

It cannot be considered a complete copy of itself. Although it can perfectly imitate the shape and appearance, it is relatively weak in terms of strength.

"Although it can also use the Touch of Calron, it is much weaker in terms of strength, toughness and explosive power. Moreover, although the summoned Touch of Calron is covered with a keratinous shell and has segmented limbs, its actual power is much weaker than it appears to the naked eye... It is basically a 'showpiece'."

As Hughes thought, the mirror image of the messenger in front of him summoned a black tentacle. Hughes drew his Demon-Slaying Silver Dagger and with just two quick swings, he severed the tentacle on the spot.

"From this perspective, its power level should be closer to mine when I was still in Seren City... The same goes for its magic level. At most, it can only use some simple tricks, and its magic reserves are very limited. It must be constantly supplied through the magic link between me and it to maintain its power."

Perhaps sensing what Hugh was thinking, the Mirror Messenger surprisingly pursed its lips in a very human way, putting on an expression that said, "I didn't want this either."

This amused Hugh.

However, the help that the Mirror Messenger can provide is obviously not entirely focused on the field of combat; its functionality is also quite obvious, as Hugh has just tested it specifically.

He deliberately "manipulated" his clone to leave the room and go for a walk outside. During this time, he encountered patrolling sentries and other mages who had just finished their night shift and inspected the field hospital's protective measures. The two sides even nodded to each other in greeting, and one of the mages even offered "Shug" a cigarette.

This is enough to show that the Mirror Messenger clone has already managed to deceive the magic perception of a Stream-level mage.

However, he also discovered some new problems.

In other words, his clone is actually just a thick cloud of magical smoke—it has no real physical form at all. All its interactions and collisions with external objects are actually a kind of magical disguise and simulation. For example, when Hughes controls his clone to smoke, the smoke will actually come out directly from its body. This scene is really too bizarre.

"It seems I can't just let this guy represent me at certain events... If he needs to eat, drink, or make a speech, he might be exposed on the spot."

With that thought in mind, Hugh placed the revolver on the table beside him. Then he gave the order, and the Mirror Messenger clone immediately stood up and picked up the pistol.

As the magic power was rapidly depleted, Hugh saw the messenger in the mirror quickly inspecting and operating the pistol, just like a real soldier.

Its movements were agile, swift, and accurate. In just a few seconds, it completed the check and reset of the cylinder. Then it raised the gun and aimed at the wall with the same standard posture.

"Although interacting with physical objects requires more magic power, it can obviously serve as an independent firing point in critical moments... I could even consider having it perform some more dangerous infiltration and reconnaissance missions, such as charging directly at the enemy with an alchemical bomb..."

This idea was naturally conveyed to the messenger in the mirror, and its expression became subtle, but it dared not voice any objection.

……

The following day, Hugh submitted an application specifically requesting an extra pistol and a new revolver rifle.

Because of Hugh's identity and his previous special performance in the military, his application was quickly approved, and he successfully obtained two new types of military equipment and corresponding ammunition. These were actually extra weapons prepared for the Mirror Messenger clone.

Hugh believed that if he could receive fire support and cover from a sharpshooter when facing the enemy head-on, the battle would become much easier. Moreover, in order to deceive others, Hugh also needed to make his clone's act complete.

If he could, he would even like to equip his clone with a set of gear according to the standards of a sword-wielding hermit or get him a Karvan heavy machine gun.

Of course, this is just wishful thinking.

As Hughes worked tirelessly to develop his new abilities, just as he had predicted, humanity's understanding and perception of war began to change dramatically.

The brutal battle that took place in the "Silver Corridor" revealed a terrible truth to all the exhibitors.

Almost all generals and marshals realized that in this epoch-making war, the tactics and thinking of the old era must be innovated and changed.

In past wars, in order to ensure the soldiers' charge, almost all armies would first use crystal cannons to bombard the enemy's positions before launching an attack. After the magical explosion destroyed the enemy's defenses, the soldiers wielding crystal guns and magic silver weapons would launch a frontal mass attack. During this process, the soldiers would often adopt a dense formation. Only in this way could the consumption of the accompanying mages in maintaining the protective ritual be minimized.

However, the terrifying lethality and suppressive power provided by the new weaponry completely shattered these conventional tactics.

The magical protection provided by the accompanying mages was far from sufficient to withstand a large number of bullets head-on. Once this protection was breached, all soldiers exposed to the enemy's view would become the most vulnerable and helpless targets.

"The bullets of the Waterlings are cheap. They simply shape ordinary metal into bullets and inlay a few magic crystals on them... The power of these bullets is negligible compared to crystal ammunition, but when they swept through our soldiers' ranks, it was like a sharp saw blade cutting through fragile grass. I could even see people's limbs being sawed in two by the bullets, and the stench of blood in the air was stronger than the magic mist."

A war correspondent who witnessed the tragedy of the "Silver Corridor" described it this way: "Old tactics must be changed; our soldiers are far more valuable than the enemy's bullets!"

Meanwhile, the Saint-St. army, which was attempting to advance in the Isa River basin, also stalled.

To counter the frequent artillery bombardments from the Saint Steel army, the army of the Duchy of Imep began constructing bunkers and shelters on a large scale to avoid artillery fire and explosions. When the bombardment came, they would hide in these shelters, which were reinforced by magical rituals. When the Saint Steel people launched a formal attack, the soldiers of the Duchy of Imep would emerge from the shelters and use their weapons to fight back...

Thus, a "truth" was laid out before everyone.

In this war, "defense" may be the real theme. Any large-scale offensive model that follows past war strategies will bring extremely heavy costs.

(End of this chapter)