BXBX NOVEL Chapter 149: Meeting As Soon As Possible
"Human, you are remarkably arrogant! I admit, your strength is indeed formidable. I acknowledge that your talent is exceptionally strong. But in the end, you are merely human. You do not possess the qualifications to challenge a deity."
The Mechanical Duke spoke in his signature cold and raspy mechanical voice.
In response to The Mechanical Duke's words, a mocking smile appeared on Jeremy's face.
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"I recall someone else telling me something similar in the past. But in the end, the deity they followed still fell."
The deity Jeremy referred to was, of course, the "Sun" of the Land of Eternal Night.
The Mechanical Duke did not say another word to Jeremy.
He simply transformed into High-Dimensional Data and swiftly passed through the illusory Portal at the top of the tower.
After The Mechanical Duke left, Bonnie asked Jeremy with a hint of concern.
"Are you really going to let him leave so easily? Why didn't we take this opportunity to eliminate him?"
In response to Bonnie's question, Jeremy gave a wry smile.
"I wanted to eliminate him too! But I simply don't have the capability to destroy him."
As he said this, Jeremy cast his gaze towards the top of the tower.
After The Mechanical Duke departed, the illusory Portal quickly vanished. With the disappearance of the Portal, the central tower of the mechanical town also began to crumble gradually.
"We can discuss these matters after we leave the instance. The Iron Lair instance is about to collapse completely. We must leave before it happens!"
Thus, Jeremy led Bonnie and the others, sprinting towards the exit of The Iron Lair instance as fast as they could.
Just before The Iron Lair instance completely collapsed, the four barely managed to escape.
Bonnie, Emma, and Claire were utterly exhausted.
They couldn't go any further, they needed to rest.
Although Jeremy was also nearly out of strength, he knew it would be extremely dangerous to rest here.
After all, before entering The Iron Lair instance, they had encountered a formidable monster in this very place.
That monster was none other than the named creature, the Furnace King.
If they were to encounter the Furnace King in their current state, the likelihood of Jeremy and his companions securing victory would be exceedingly low.
"I know you're all extremely tired right now, but this place is far from safe! We must leave the industrial district and return to the safe zones of Moonlight City as quickly as possible." Jeremy urged.
Prompted by Jeremy's reminder, Bonnie and the others reluctantly stood up.
The four of them supported each other, moving forward as fast as they could. However, they hadn't gone far before a massive figure blocked their path.
This figure was none other than the Furnace King, the very being Jeremy had been worried about encountering.
"It's just like they say, the more you fear something, the more likely you are to face it! Has the Furnace King been guarding the entrance to The Iron Lair instance this whole time?!"
Understandably, Jeremy's mood soured significantly at this turn of events.
Though he could still fight if he had to, he couldn't guarantee the safety of Bonnie and the others.
As Jeremy pondered how to navigate this dire situation, the sound of intense gunfire erupted from a short distance away. A shadowy figure then darted toward them from afar.
This figure turned out to be Ella, a member of the special operations team stationed in Moonlight City.
Ella's arrival brought a sense of relief to Jeremy and his companions.
Although Ella was Kean's fiancée, she had always gotten along fairly well with Jeremy. Unlike Kean, Ella did not harbor any animosity towards Jeremy.
Ella swiftly eliminated the Furnace King.
"Are you all alright? I came here under Mayor Benjamin's orders to rescue you!"
Ella stated, her voice icy as she looked at Jeremy.
Despite their decent relationship, Ella couldn't appear too friendly with Jeremy, given that Jeremy and her fiancé Kean were mortal enemies.
Her presence here was not to rescue Jeremy.
She had come solely to save Mayor Benjamin's daughter, Bonnie.
"They're not seriously hurt, just exhausted."
Jeremy responded to Ella's inquiry, as Bonnie and the others were too tired to speak.
Ella nodded. "More people will arrive shortly. You can leave with them in their vehicles. I'll continue leading my team to clear out the monsters in the industrial district."
With that, Ella quickly departed.
Not long after Ella left, Jeremy and his group heard the roar of approaching cars.
Eventually, Jeremy and his companions boarded the vehicle headed towards the safe zone of Moonlight City, under the protection of the city's police force. These officers were specifically dispatched by Mayor Benjamin.
While on the vehicle, Jeremy received a phone call from Benjamin.
"Why did you allow my daughter to enter such a perilous instance without informing me first?! Did you deceive her into going to the instance? If my daughter sustains even the slightest injury, I will never forgive you!" Benjamin's voice seethed with fury.
At this moment, Benjamin was unaware of the emotional bond between Jeremy and Bonnie.
Therefore, when Benjamin spoke, his tone was exceedingly wrathful.
Jeremy felt that if he were to face Benjamin in person, the mayor would undoubtedly strangle him without hesitation.
"Mr. Benjamin, I did not intentionally deceive your daughter into entering The Iron Lair instance. Furthermore, I specifically sought her consent before the operation. She agreed to accompany me, which is why I brought her into the instance." Jeremy explained.
However, Jeremy's explanation did not have any effect.
On the other end of the line, Benjamin remained extremely enraged. After hearing Jeremy's explanation, Benjamin proceeded to unleash a torrent of verbal abuse.
"You damned bastard! Nothing you say now is going to make any difference. When you return, I will personally speak with my daughter. Whether or not you deceived her is not for you to decide!" Benjamin's roar was loud enough for the three people sitting around Jeremy to hear clearly.
Feeling slightly exasperated, Bonnie gently tapped Jeremy on the shoulder, signaling him to hand over the phone.
"Dad, it's me."
Bonnie said as she took the phone, first identifying herself.
On the other end of the line, Benjamin's tone softened a bit, though he remained exceedingly angry.
"My dear daughter! Why did you go into The Iron Lair instance with that scoundrel Jeremy? Don't you know how dangerous that instance is? Did he trick you?"
Benjamin believed he understood his daughter very well.
Bonnie had always been a very cautious person, never one to take risks alone. This led Benjamin to assume that Jeremy must have deceived Bonnie.
"Father, Jeremy did not deceive me. In fact, it was my own decision to enter The Iron Lair instance with him. Not only did I not encounter any danger this time, but I also gained a lot of rewards in The Iron Lair instance."
"My abilities will see a significant boost. This way, I can provide substantial assistance to you, Father. We could expedite the process of clearing all the monsters from Moonlight City." Bonnie's tone carried a gentle hint of joy.
The prospect of increased strength made Bonnie feel she could offer greater help to others.
Bonnie's words rendered Benjamin silent.
After several seconds, Benjamin slowly responded from the other end of the line.
"I understand. You truly are my good daughter. However, next time you undertake something similar, you must inform me in advance. I know you want to help others, but you must first ensure your own safety."
"I understand, Father! Next time, before heading to an instance, I will definitely inform you ahead of time. I won't let you worry like this again."
Bonnie's words successfully diffused Benjamin's anger.
"Alright, when you get home, we will have a proper talk. Now, hand the phone back to that bastard Jeremy!"
Even though Benjamin now knew that Bonnie had not been deceived by Jeremy, his impression of Jeremy remained extremely poor.
After Jeremy took the phone, Benjamin coldly said, "I hope to meet with you as soon as possible. Recently, a series of events have occurred that have had a significant impact on Moonlight City.
Moreover, you should be aware that your conflict with Kean could potentially affect the entire Moonlight City. Therefore, I hope you can reconcile with Kean."
Benjamin's words instantly infuriated Jeremy.
"Did I hear that correctly? You are actually asking me to reconcile with him? He's the one who has been deliberately targeting me all along! Shouldn't he be the one apologizing and asking for my forgiveness?"
Jeremy felt he had no reason to reconcile with Kean.
In fact, even if reconciliation were to happen, Kean would have to kneel and beg for Jeremy's forgiveness.
Jeremy's response left Benjamin at a loss for words for a moment.
After a while, Benjamin slowly said, "Regardless, we should meet first."