End of Days Game: I'm the Only One Who Can See the Hidden Cues

Faced with Bonnie's question, Jeremy sighed softly. He knew exactly why she was concerned.

"I understand what you're worried about," Jeremy began, turning to look at her. "You're probably thinking that by sending all those beetles to another section of the instance, I might have unintentionally put others at risk."

Bonnie nodded in agreement.

"That's certainly a possibility," Jeremy continued. "But, honestly, I didn't have much of a choice. The number of beetles was overwhelming, and if I had tried to eliminate them using conventional methods, it would've taken far too long. We'd be stuck here for hours, maybe even days. I trust you understand the situation."

Bonnie remained silent, processing his explanation. Jeremy's words were logical, leaving her with no valid counterargument. She knew he was right; they couldn't afford to waste time, not in an environment as dangerous as this.

With no further questions, Bonnie watched as Jeremy pressed forward into the hall, his pace unbroken. The threat of the beetles had passed, and the hall was now eerily quiet. With no immediate dangers remaining, Jeremy and his companions quickly reached the far end of the hall.

At the end of the room, they encountered a narrow passageway. This passage was so tight that only one person could squeeze through at a time.

The moment Jeremy saw the passage, his instincts flared. He immediately recognized it as another trap.

"We absolutely can't go through this passage one by one," he said firmly. "It would expose each of us to far too much danger. We need to find an alternative route."

Jeremy scanned the area, then turned back to his team.

"Search around. See if there's another way through. If there isn't, I'll use my King of Time and Space ability to open a portal for us."

Jeremy's tone was resolute, leaving no room for doubt. His plan was clear and decisive, and it wasn't just a message for his team—it was also a signal to the instance's boss.

Jeremy was fully aware that the boss of The Lost Realm instance was likely watching his every move. He suspected that all the traps and obstacles they had encountered so far were part of a larger plan designed to gradually weaken him. By making each step forward more dangerous, the instance was chipping away at his strength, hoping to wear him down.

Despite this, Jeremy wasn't about to fall into such an obvious trap. He knew how to navigate the challenges ahead, and he wasn't about to let the instance's boss gain the upper hand.

Once Jeremy's strength had been sufficiently weakened, the instance boss would inevitably reveal itself. To avoid this worst-case scenario, Jeremy was determined to conserve as much of his energy as possible before confronting the boss.

While Claire, Emma, and Bonnie searched the hall for any alternative routes, Jeremy remained alert, monitoring the situation and scanning his surroundings. Despite his vigilance, as the minutes ticked by, he began to suspect there were no other exits besides the narrow passage they had already found.

Just as Jeremy was about to give up hope, Emma suddenly shouted in excitement,

"There's another passage over here! And it's wide enough for all of us to go through together!"

Her discovery left Jeremy stunned. Given his King of Time and Space ability, Jeremy had an acute awareness of the space around him. The fact that he hadn't detected a larger passage puzzled him deeply. How could Emma have found something that had eluded his spatial senses?

Curiosity piqued, Jeremy quickly turned to look in Emma's direction. To his astonishment, a massive passageway had indeed appeared before his eyes, one that hadn't been there earlier.

In disbelief, Jeremy stared at the passage, then asked his companions,

"Did any of you see this passage before now? I never sensed its presence. Could it have just formed moments ago?"

Bonnie was quick to respond,

"No, I didn't see it before either! That means this passage must have just appeared!"

Her confirmation made Jeremy even more suspicious. If the passage had only just emerged, it could mean someone—or something—was actively observing their every move and adjusting the environment accordingly. Bonnie's and Jeremy's exchange caused both Emma and Claire to grow uneasy. The idea that they were being watched so closely sent a ripple of tension through the group.

Instinctively, Emma and Claire moved closer to Jeremy, seeking the safety of his presence.

Jeremy, however, wasn't shocked by the revelation that they were being watched. He had long suspected the instance boss was keeping a close eye on him. What surprised him was how abruptly and conveniently the new passage had materialized.

"Does the instance boss think I'm some kind of fool?" Jeremy thought to himself, his mind racing.

"Does he really expect me to walk straight into a passage that suddenly appears out of nowhere, without a second thought?"

Sarcasm filled Jeremy's thoughts as he considered the absurdity of the situation.

"If he thinks I'm that stupid, maybe I should show him exactly what he wants to see—do something foolish just to mess with him."

Despite his internal skepticism, Jeremy made up his mind. He decided to take a bold, calculated risk and enter the newly formed passage. He knew it was a trap, but sometimes the only way to outplay your opponent was to walk straight into their carefully laid snare, while staying one step ahead of them.

With that decision, Jeremy took his first step toward the unexpected passage, fully aware that the game was far from over.

Jeremy's expression quickly shifted to one of casual ease. With a smile on his face, he addressed the group, "Now that the passage has appeared, we might as well head inside. Staying here any longer might just bring us more trouble—like another swarm of beetles."

With that, Jeremy turned and began walking toward the newly revealed passage.

His sudden decision took Bonnie by surprise. She hurried forward, stepping in front of him to block his path.

"Don't you think this passage appearing out of nowhere is suspicious? Aren't you even a little worried it might be a trap?" Bonnie asked, her voice full of concern.

Jeremy shook his head calmly.

"There are only two ways out of this hall—the narrow passage or this one. I'm definitely not going through the narrow one. That leaves us with only this wider passage."

His response was cryptic but deliberate. Bonnie stood there for a moment, thinking over his words. After a brief pause, understanding dawned on her. Jeremy wasn't being reckless; he was simply choosing the lesser of two evils, fully aware of the risks. Seeing this, Bonnie stepped aside, allowing him to continue.

With Jeremy leading the way, the group moved through the wide passage into the next area.

The new zone they entered was crawling with numerous, but relatively weak, monsters. Without hesitation, Jeremy took the lead and launched into action, attacking the creatures with precision and strength. Bonnie, Claire, and Emma followed closely behind, doing their best to assist him as they pressed forward.

Together, the four of them fought their way through the instance, crossing one area after another, each filled with monsters that Jeremy had to battle head-on. It seemed like an endless cycle of fighting and advancing.

Finally, after passing through countless monster-filled regions, the group reached an area unlike any they had encountered before.

This new space was eerily strange, filled with swirling shadows and distorted, overlapping fragments of space. The atmosphere was disorienting, and the chaotic, fragmented nature of the area made everything feel unsettlingly wrong.

Claire, Emma, and Bonnie all wore expressions of unease. Though they lacked extensive experience, the danger radiating from the surroundings was palpable. They could sense that this area was far more hazardous than the ones they had traversed previously.

Jeremy, more composed than the others, carefully observed the shadows and strange space around them. His sharp eyes quickly locked onto a figure moving within the shadows—someone he recognized.

"You've already seen us, so why not come out?" Jeremy called out confidently in the direction of the figure. "Surely, you don't consider us your enemies, do you?"

His voice echoed through the shadow-filled area as he waited for a response, fully prepared for whatever—or whoever—might emerge.

Everyone's attention shifted toward the shadowy figure. For a brief moment, a vague silhouette flashed within the darkness. However, instead of stepping forward, the figure darted into another shadow, continuing to remain hidden from Jeremy and the others.

Jeremy, feeling somewhat exasperated, called out again, his tone tinged with frustration.

"Ritchie! Do you seriously not recognize me? Or do you think I'm some kind of illusion? If you don't show yourself right now, I won't be as polite next time."

He had recognized the figure in the shadows—it was none other than Ritchie.

Jeremy's words clearly struck a chord. With a reluctant sigh, Ritchie finally emerged from the shadows, his expression serious and guarded. His eyes scanned Jeremy, Bonnie, Emma, and Claire with suspicion, as if he couldn't fully trust what he was seeing.

"It looks like you've encountered something pretty strange," Jeremy remarked, carefully studying Ritchie's tense demeanor. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be acting so paranoid. I'm guessing the rest of the Special Team members who came in with you have already turned into monsters, haven't they?"

Jeremy had pieced it together from the moment he saw Ritchie's wary expression. There was no other explanation for why Ritchie would be so on edge.

Ritchie's face darkened even more at Jeremy's words. He nodded slowly, confirming Jeremy's suspicions without uttering a single word. The silence that followed spoke volumes—Ritchie had indeed gone through something horrific. He was the last one left, having witnessed the gruesome transformation of his comrades into monstrous abominations.

Seeing Ritchie like this, Jeremy realized just how deep the situation had spiraled. It wasn't just about fighting monsters anymore; the instance was twisting the very people inside it, pushing them to their breaking point.

"You're right," Ritchie said, his tone grim and resolute. "Those Special Team members have all turned into monsters. But that still doesn't mean I can trust you, because every monster in this instance knows that same fact. You need to tell me something the monsters couldn't possibly know. Only then will I be sure it's really you, and only then will I agree to move forward with you."

Ritchie's voice was filled with caution, reflecting the gravity of his situation. It was clear that after everything he'd been through, he had grown sharper and more independent, able to handle challenges on his own with greater confidence.

Jeremy smiled upon hearing Ritchie's response, genuinely impressed by the growth he was seeing in his old companion.

"It's good to see you're doing much better than before," Jeremy said. "At least now, when you're operating alone, you won't fall into traps so easily."

With that, Jeremy calmly pulled out Mortal Combat, his iconic weapon.

"Take a good look at this. You recognize it, don't you? Do you think any of the instance's monsters could perfectly replicate this weapon?" Jeremy asked, his voice steady as he presented the weapon to Ritchie.

Ritchie didn't respond immediately. Instead, he kept his sharp gaze fixed on Jeremy, his eyes filled with doubt and suspicion, still unsure whether he could fully trust what he was seeing.

Jeremy sighed, realizing words alone wouldn't be enough to convince him. Without hesitation, Jeremy activated one of Mortal Combat's abilities.

In an instant, both he and Ritchie were pulled into a unique, isolated dimension—a special space created by the power of Mortal Combat. It was only after being transported into this pocket dimension that Ritchie's expression finally shifted. His eyes widened, and the tension in his body relaxed slightly. He now understood that the person standing before him could only be the real Jeremy.

"You believe me now, right?" Jeremy said, looking at Ritchie with a slight smirk. "The fact that I could bring you into this special space means my power far surpasses yours. If I were really a monster in disguise, I could easily destroy you right here. Do you honestly think you have any remaining value to these monsters? Something that would make them spare you?"

Jeremy's words were direct and sincere, cutting through Ritchie's paranoia with brutal honesty.

Ritchie's expression softened, the wariness on his face giving way to exhaustion and a hint of defeat.

"I've been so cautious because I've faced incredibly dangerous situations recently," he admitted. "Everything I've seen, everything I've been through… it's changed the way I see things."

Hearing this, Jeremy nodded, understanding just how much the instance had pushed Ritchie to his limits. The trauma of surviving in such a hostile environment had understandably made him wary, perhaps even distrustful, of everything and everyone around him.