My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 132 The World in the Mirror
Of course, although Jules wasn't interested in these treasures, he let them search the place for a while while he pondered the secrets of the mirror.

After pondering for a while without any results, the three ended their search.

To Jules' surprise, none of the three looked too good, especially Lam.

"Nothing at all……"

They looked at each other in silence, and the four of them walked deeper into the area once more.

Throughout the journey, Ram held the map in his hand and kept muttering to himself.

The sound was faint, but it reached Jules' ears clearly:

"Didn't Uriel say that thing was deep inside...? Why is there nothing here?"

Jules' eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't say anything and just quickened his pace.

……

It got dark much faster than expected.

Jules felt that they had explored at most half of the monastery before dusk was approaching.

Upon arriving at each new area, after some back and forth to clear out the dangers, the other three would begin their search.

During this process, he also secretly observed the three of them.

Logan and Cliff clearly had a specific purpose in mind, and seemed particularly concerned about things like the "mirror".

Wherever I go, I take a second look at places where there might be mirrors.

He couldn't say for sure whether the two adventurers hired by Uriel were afraid of the previous scene or because their goal was related to the mirror.

Therefore, he paid special attention to this.

However, they never encountered a scene like the one in the chapel again, as the lanterns in the hands of the two men easily suppressed it.

This changed Jules's opinion somewhat—it seemed there was a reason why they were so confident before, and they weren't as bad as he had imagined.

Ram, following the adventurers' experience, searched for places where ancient artifacts could be easily hidden.

However, even as darkness fell, the group still hadn't found anything.

Just like the so-called "untouched" areas here, they were all swept away long ago, leaving only ruins.

Even if some antiques do survive, they are all broken and worthless.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense, but finally, Jules broke the silence:

It's dusk.

Ram looked up at the sky—in the distance, in the direction opposite the sun, a deep, pale white had appeared.

That pale white hue was perfectly round and flawless, like a divine eye.

Ram said cautiously:

"The moon's out, should we... retreat?"

He seemed somewhat hesitant.

Logan and Cliff left without hesitation, but they glanced at Jules a couple more times before leaving.

Seeing the two leave, Jules glanced at Ram and said indifferently:

"I want to stay and see what changes will occur here after the full moon."

Upon hearing this, Ram lowered his head, clearly caught in a fierce internal struggle.

Jules wasn't in a hurry to urge Ram, but simply waited leisurely for a reply.

He knew that Ramu was certainly not as carefree as he was.

After all, it was he who had the strength to rely on, not Ram, and the other party couldn't possibly place all their hopes on him.

Therefore, Ram must not have given up on finding antiques to save his sister.

I searched most of the monastery today, but found nothing. The anxiety the other person must be feeling is beyond my imagination.

As dusk settled, it swiftly engulfed the monastery.

The evening breeze blows, weaving through the dilapidated corridors, emitting a mournful wail like that of ghosts.

Ram paced back and forth, the rustling sound of his shoes scraping against the ground jarring in the deathly silence.

He would occasionally look up at the rising full moon, the silvery moonlight making his face appear even paler.

Finally, Ram stopped, gritted her teeth, and made up her mind:

"I...I'll stay too."

Although his voice trembled slightly, it conveyed an undeniable firmness.

At this moment, his desire to save his loved ones overwhelmed his fear of death and the unknown.

Jules raised an eyebrow slightly, neither confirming nor denying, and turned to say:
"Then let's come on, let's see what changes will happen here when the full moon arrives."

Ram hurried to catch up, their shadows stretching long in the moonlight.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only their footsteps echoing through the dilapidated monastery.

……

Uriel lay on the rocking chair in the room, leisurely reading the newspapers that had recently been smuggled from the sea.

Despite the lockdown of London, the pursuit of profit still drives some to risk their lives by engaging in smuggling.

"It looks like the lockdown will probably last another month or two at most... but you never know."

Uriel rubbed his temples, feeling a bit of a headache.

I don't know what went wrong with the royal family, but they suddenly ordered the start of a war in the Queen's name.

While everyone longs for the flag of the British Empire to fly all over the world, no one wants to become one of the casualties of war.

Before he left, London was already in a state of turmoil.

Although the master did not say it explicitly, he could tell from the master's words that many nobles were also dissatisfied with the current actions of the royal family.

Uriel had no idea what his superiors were planning; all he knew was that being a good dog was enough.

As dusk settled into his eyes, a knocking sound came from the door.

"Dong dong."

Without looking up, he said:
"No outside guests are received."

“Mr. Uriel, it’s us, Logan and Cliff.”

Upon hearing that it was the two of them, Uriel put down his newspaper, got up, and slowly opened the door.

"So? Did you find anything?"

The two stammered, and after a long pause, managed to utter a sentence:
"We have achieved some initial results."

Uriel's face darkened when he saw that the two men's hands were empty.
Still haven't found it?

"I'm sorry, Lord Uriel, we've explored most of the monastery, but we still haven't found any clues about the bronze mirror."

The two quickly knelt on one knee, not even daring to look Uriel in the eye.

Uriel snorted coldly and said:
"Tell me, what did you find when you went in this time?"

Logan swallowed hard and told Uriel the speech he had rehearsed in advance.

He largely recounted what he had seen and heard, but omitted some content that Uriel did not want to hear.

For example, the two of them were careless and almost died in that part of the chapel.

The more Uriel listened, the deeper his brow furrowed.

"How come there's nothing inside?"

This contradicts the intelligence he received!
Three hundred years ago, the monk who escaped with the bronze mirror must have died in this monastery. How could it have turned out like this?
That area was clearly a no-man's land that no one had ever entered!
He pondered for a while and said:
"You said earlier that the mysterious expert directly killed the wandering soul residing in the statue?"

He still didn't know Jules's name, but he felt that Jules was probably no ordinary person, so he subconsciously showed a certain respect in his words. Logan hesitated for a moment, then said:
"Probably, but I don't know much about this."

Uriel curled his fingers and tapped the table in deep thought.

After a while, he said:
Did you see that person take anything?

“No,” the two shook their heads repeatedly. “Let alone him, we didn’t see anything of value.”

“…I understand.” Uriel nodded.

Just when the two thought they could go back, Uriel continued:
"You two go and keep watch around the monastery, preventing anyone from entering or leaving, and also monitoring the activity inside."

Before Logan could speak, Cliff protested vehemently:
"No, people will die there during a full moon!"

Uriel's face immediately darkened:
"At most, it's just a little residual ritual influence. What's there to be afraid of? Don't you have the lantern I gave you?"

Cliff's dry, slurred voice:
"I am afraid."

His expression carried an indescribable fear.

"I have personally witnessed my companion vanish forever just around the corner... That is a power beyond human reason..."

"Your lantern, though powerful, is ultimately limited..."

Logan didn't speak, but he nodded in agreement.

When Uriel saw that the two had disobeyed him, his face turned very gloomy.

Do you think I'm discussing this with you?

The air in the room froze instantly.

Uriel exuded a cold aura, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Logan and Cliff like a knife.

The flickering lights stretched his shadow into a distorted and menacing shape, as if he were about to devour someone at any moment.

“My lord…” Logan began with difficulty, his voice trembling slightly with fear, “We…we really did our best.”

"Try your best?"

Uriel sneered:

"You can't even handle a small monastery, yet you dare to talk to me about doing your best?"

He slammed his hand on the table, causing the objects on it to bounce and scatter all over the floor.

"That bronze mirror is of utmost importance. If you fail to complete the task, you know the consequences!"

Logan and Cliff exchanged a glance, both seeing the bitterness in each other's eyes.

At that moment, they even felt a pang of regret.

Regretting his greed for treasure, he accepted this strange-looking commission.

After Uriel finished his tirade, his expression gradually calmed down.

Seemingly knowing he couldn't just give them the stick, his tone softened, and he offered them a "carrot":
"Don't worry, I will assist you if necessary. As long as you complete the mission, I won't guarantee your life afterward, but you'll have enough wealth for half a lifetime."

The two nodded, sighed, and left the room.

……

When the full moon arrived, Jules noticed that something strange had changed around him.

It was as if some creatures had come to life—but he did not see any other living things besides plants.

This was also one of the biggest anomalies he discovered in the monastery.

How could such a large monastery, now abandoned, be so deserted that even birds and rodents wouldn't want to visit it?

Ram followed behind Jules, trembling uncontrollably.

Occasionally, a gust of wind would blow, stirring up the withered branches and fallen leaves on the ground, which would startle him and make him cry out.

The full moon's silvery light poured down without reservation, completely enveloping the entire monastery.

The originally dilapidated ground and walls gradually began to gleam with a strange luster under the cool moonlight.

It was as if it was instantly enveloped by an invisible liquid, becoming as smooth as a mirror.

Jules paused, his gaze instantly sharpening.

He stared at the ground beneath his feet, trying to discern some pattern within it.

The reflection of moonlight on it is no longer a simple play of light and shadow, but presents an eerie distortion.

Those mottled lines are as conspicuous as cracks and wounds on a mirror.

Looking up, the "mirrors" on the wall are the same.

Every reflection seemed to contain countless intricate patterns, which flashed by so quickly that one wondered if it was an illusion.

"It seems that the true nature of this place will be revealed after the full moon?"

Jules murmured to himself, his voice low and solemn.

He slowly reached out his hand, his fingertips touching the "mirror" on the wall.

A bone-chilling cold instantly traveled up my arm, as if I were being enveloped by the ice and snow of deep winter.

At the same time, ripples spread across the "mirror" beneath his fingers, like waves rippling on the water.

Wherever the ripples reached, the reflected images were not just of the two of them, but also of many blurry, indistinct, black shadows that were baring their fangs and claws as they pounced on them!

Jules was startled and turned to look—

However, contrary to what was seen in the mirror, there was nothing behind him.

"Is there nothing there?"

He pondered for a moment, and suddenly, he realized an important problem.

"Where is Ram?"

Ram was clearly following behind him just now, how could he have disappeared without a sound, and he hadn't even sensed any fluctuations in power?
Jules remained calm, showing no panic at Ram's sudden disappearance.

He wasn't so concerned about Ram's disappearance; rather, in this situation, he should be more concerned about whether he would also disappear like Ram.

Furthermore, where did Ram go after she disappeared?
He turned back and walked along the path he had come from.

The footprints on the ground were still very clear, and because of this, he quickly found the location where Ram had disappeared.

This is a courtyard, surrounded by mirror-like walls on all sides.

The moonlight descended, bringing an endless chill to the dilapidated monastery.

Jules stood on the footprints left by Ram when he disappeared, looking around, trying to figure something out.

Suddenly, the moonlight shone brightly, but after a short while, it returned to calm.

But his pupils suddenly contracted—that feeling might be unfamiliar to others, but he was quite familiar with it!

You get a similar feeling when you enter the fragments of the Sixth History and travel back and forth between different historical periods!

However, compared to traveling through history, the changes this time seemed much smaller, and he didn't even have that dizzying feeling that he often experienced.

As Jules pondered this, he cautiously surveyed his surroundings.

He always felt that ever since the moonlight flashed, everything before his eyes seemed to have undergone some inexplicable change.

His gaze gradually rose, finally settling on the sky.

He was stunned for a moment upon seeing the view of the sky.

Endless moonlight descended, yet there was no moon.

Furthermore, though the sky seemed vast and distant, he, who had once seen through the truth of the Innsmouth ritual, keenly sensed a certain disharmony within it.

Based on the previous anomalies and speculations, Jules quickly came up with the most reasonable possibility:
"Could it be... that I've entered the mirror world?"

His eyes suddenly became more excited.

In other words, what he wants is most likely really in the mirror!
(End of this chapter)