Although Gu Xi didn't know what was happening behind him, he quickly lowered his head. A loud boom followed, and a giant stone, like a pendulum, crashed heavily into the midst of the Black Robe Cultists.
The stone, possibly weighing several tons, somehow swung violently, knocking the Cultist at the front out of the way, and directly crushing over a dozen people to death on the spot.
At this moment, Gu Xi heard a voice behind him.
"This way, come this way!"
Gu Xi looked up and saw a youth who was unnaturally thin sticking his head out from nearby, waving at Gu Xi incessantly.
Gu Xi was curious, and as he hesitated, he heard the sound of Black Robe Cultists moving the giant stone behind him.
Without thinking much, Gu Xi immediately ran towards the young man.
After taking only two steps, Gu Xi realized that this young man was hiding in a passage behind the wall.
If he hadn't personally signaled, Gu Xi would never have discovered the passage's existence.
Without much thought, Gu Xi quickly approached, and the young man grabbed Gu Xi's hand, dragging him into the passage.
As he was being dragged, Gu Xi noticed that the young man's arm was so thin it was just skin and bones, and there were even some teeth marks on it.
The youth didn't react much; he led the way while pressing mechanisms on the walls.
Though he didn't look back, Gu Xi could hear the sound of movement in the wall behind him.
Uncertain of what was happening, Gu Xi focused his mind and communicated secretly with Luna, prepared to act if the youth tried anything.
They ran forward for over thirty meters, took several turns, and then arrived in a small room about seven or eight square meters in size.
Upon entering the room, Gu Xi saw four or five other men and women inside, all looking quite thin. As Gu Xi and the young man entered, they sat there weakly.
However, from their eyes, Gu Xi could see anger and murderous intent.
Looking more closely at their posture, Gu Xi involuntarily made a sound of realization.
"Aren't you..."
"Yes, we were in the cell next to yours. I'm Jack, Little Flea Jack. When you escaped, you threw the key to us."
The young man who brought Gu Xi here explained when he saw Gu Xi realized the situation.
"So it's you all, good you got out. But why didn't you escape?"
Seeing that they were fellow prisoners, inexplicably captured like him, Gu Xi felt slightly relieved but still looked at them with surprise.
Given the circumstances they entered, a small room like this clearly wasn't crafted by them.
If they had such mechanisms, they wouldn't have needed to wait for Gu Xi to act; they could've escaped centuries ago.
"Oh, those who wanted to leave already did. We stayed because we know some secrets. I say, sir, you're a Professional, right?"
Jack looked at Gu Xi mysteriously.
"Yes, an Undead Mage."
As Gu Xi spoke, Luna also peeked out from behind him.
The hollow gaze startled everyone present.
Fortunately, Jack reacted quickly and immediately said, "Sir, sir, please, we mean no harm. These are people I kept with me, and we know a secret here.
That's why they captured us."
Hearing this, Gu Xi's eyes narrowed. Having been locked up here for so long, almost unable to complete his employment, this was something he remembered all too well.
After achieving his position, he didn't leave immediately, looking for a chance to retaliate.
Now hearing such news, Gu Xi felt excited.
"What reason?"
"Those guys discovered the Mirror Image Underground Palace. We were to be sacrifices to open the Mirror Gate."
As Jack explained, he proudly glanced at Gu Xi, hoping to see shock in his eyes.
But Gu Xi knew nothing about things like a Mirror Image Underground Palace.
He came to this world solely to become an Undead Mage.
From his past experience, he knew he just needed to choose a suitable undead from the graveyard as his Contracted Undead to complete his employment successfully.
Then he could leave this world directly.
Why would he bother reading all the background information of this world?
What Jack said was like throwing flirtatious glances at a blind person; Gu Xi didn't understand the significance of Jack's information.
Seeing Gu Xi's lack of reaction, Jack assumed Gu Xi dismissed the news and had to explain further.
"Sir, when I was first imprisoned, my neighbor was an architect.
He wasn't content being trapped here and wanted to escape.
While planning to dig a tunnel, I helped him a little. But his actions were too noticeable, and he was soon seriously injured.
If I hadn't occasionally given him water, he might have died even faster.
Later, he told me he found some unusual bricks while digging, and he concluded that this should be the legendary Mirror Image Underground Palace."
Jack stressed the words 'Mirror Image Underground Palace.'
But Gu Xi really didn't understand this; he simply asked, "Is there something wrong with the Mirror Image Underground Palace?"
Jack realized some things were hard to explain.
Gu Xi genuinely didn't know.
So Jack and the others began to explain the Mirror Image Underground Palace to Gu Xi.
It turns out this Mirror Image Underground Palace is a legend of Victoria City.
About three hundred years ago, when Victoria City was under the Stuart Dynasty, James I, in order to seize the throne, offered the entire Victoria City as a sacrifice to an unknown existence.
However, after ascending the throne, he was unwilling to give up the city, so he devised a scheme.
Using the core of Victoria City, the Victoria Tower, as a reference point, he copied an identical city at a one-to-one scale.
He then offered this false city to the unknown existence, using the mirror method to exile the being and the false city into an Alternate Space.
Since then, this false city became the backdrop for ghost stories about Victoria City.
Among all the true or false tales, the only certainty was that entering the exiled false city required passing through a building completely opposite the Victoria Tower.
That was the never-discovered Mirror Image Underground Palace.
The Black Robe Cultists were followers of the unknown entity, and their goal in capturing Gu Xi and others was to open the passage from the Mirror Image Underground Palace to the false city, releasing the entity they worship.