Chapter 189: Mutual Probing Between Opponents
As Kean manipulated the mechanical puppets to enter the instance, deep within its recesses, Jeremy was meticulously perfecting his traps.
To ensure that the traps within the depths of the instance could defeat the White Tower, Jeremy had deliberately brought the Dark Core to the innermost part of the instance.
The Dark Core, since it can provide Jeremy with additional power when he attains divinity, is naturally also capable of countering enemies who possess divinity.
Even though Jeremy already had the Longsword of the Undying, a weapon capable of inflicting damage on divine enemies.
However, in previous battles, the Longsword of the Undying had not been particularly effective.
"It seems the White Tower must have some sort of divine-level protection skill. If I want to hurt him, I must first diminish his divinity."
Jeremy muttered to himself while setting up the traps.
At that moment, an unusual tremor suddenly reverberated through Jeremy's surroundings.
Jeremy cautiously surveyed the area.
After confirming that he did not detect any information related to the White Tower, Jeremy muttered to himself again.
"The tremor just now must have been caused by the instance boss. I should try not to disturb the instance boss. Once the enemy enters the instance, I'll take action."
After meticulously setting up the traps in the depths of the instance, Jeremy departed from his established traps and proceeded toward the upper levels of the instance.
During his ascent, Jeremy did not forget to lay down a series of smaller traps along the way.
He hoped that these minor traps would slow down the White Tower's movements once he entered the instance.
Moreover, these smaller traps could serve the purpose of probing the White Tower's strength.
In the previous battles, Jeremy had not actually exerted his full power. At that time, Jeremy had already devised a plan to utilize the instance to defeat his opponent.
Had he displayed his full strength then, the White Tower might have been deterred from pursuing him.
Jeremy did not encounter a single enemy within the instance, and he quickly arrived at a spacious hall within the instance.
The location of this spacious hall was of paramount importance.
There were four different pathways in the spacious hall. One pathway led to the entrance of the instance, while another one led to the depths of the instance where Jeremy had prepared his traps.
The other two pathways each led to one of the instance's formidable bosses.
The high difficulty of this instance was precisely because it housed two powerful bosses.
Both Jeremy and Howard had decided to tackle this instance last after learning about its details. They prioritized dealing with the relatively easier instances first.
"If I can seize this opportunity to eliminate the two bosses within the instance, our subsequent actions will be much easier."
Jeremy mused to himself.
At that very moment, the sound of gears turning echoed from the direction of the instance's entrance.
Upon hearing this noise, Jeremy swiftly concealed himself in the shadows.
Holding his breath, Jeremy focused intently on the entrance of the pathway leading from the instance's entry to the spacious hall.
After a short while, a mechanical Puppet resembling a transport vehicle appeared in the pathway.
The mechanical Puppet did not immediately enter the spacious hall, it seemed to be using its cameras to survey the surroundings.
The instant Jeremy saw the mechanical Puppet, he realized it was the White Tower's attempt to probe him.
Thus, Jeremy had no intention of destroying the mechanical Puppet outright. In his mind, this was an opportunity to gauge the White Tower's strength in the real world.
After contemplating for a moment, Jeremy retreated to the depths of the instance.
He had already prepared traps there specifically targeting the mechanical Puppet.
At the entrance of the instance, both the White Tower and Kean were intently watching the footage transmitted back by the mechanical Puppet, falling into a state of deep contemplation.
"The mechanical Puppet can't proceed any further. There's some force within the instance that limits my control over it. If the Puppet delves any deeper, I'll lose all command over it."
Kean stated in a cold, detached manner.
The White Tower remained silent, for he knew that what Kean had just said was indeed an undeniable truth.
After a while, the voice of the White Tower resurfaced.
"In that case, perhaps you should enter the instance yourself."
Kean responded with a cold, mocking laugh.
"If you don't dare to enter the instance, why would you think I would? I refuse to be your sacrificial pawn."
Hearing Kean's reply, the White Tower felt a slight surge of anger.
"You and I are different! You're human! The dangers you face inside the instance are the same as those faced by any other human. If Jeremy isn't afraid, why should you be?"
The White Tower hoped to provoke Kean into entering the instance immediately.
However, Kean merely responded with a frosty tone.
"Jeremy is far stronger than I am. Without your assistance, I wouldn't even dare to face him head-on."
In reality, Kean was not easily swayed by the White Tower's words.
"So, what do you propose we do? Are we just going to stand here and wait like fools?"
The White Tower, unable to directly control Kean's body, was left with few viable options.
"Didn't you grant me the skill to control mechanical monsters before? Can you bestow upon me more skills? Perhaps with additional abilities, I could observe Jeremy more effectively."
Kean suggested, hoping to leverage this opportunity to learn more about the White Tower's capabilities.
In this way, even if Kean had to face the White Tower as an adversary in the future, his chances of victory in battle would be higher.
The White Tower responded in a slightly regretful tone.
"I have no more skills to offer. Moreover, it's evident that Jeremy is aware of our probing attempts. He seems to be using this opportunity to gauge us as well.
If we lack the courage to enter the instance, he will surely wait within, anticipating the arrival of his allies. Do you think the other Awakened in Moonlight City haven't caught on yet?"
The White Tower's words suddenly made Kean realize the gravity of the situation.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?! I completely forgot about the other Awakened in Moonlight City! Howard and Bonnie must be on their way!"
At that moment, Kean was visibly panicked.
Though he knew that Howard and Bonnie were not his equals, their assistance to Jeremy could significantly complicate his subsequent actions.
"How was I supposed to know you'd forget such a crucial detail?! Surely, you won't continue to dawdle now! Hurry up and enter the instance!" The White Tower urged impatiently.
Under the White Tower's prodding, Kean quickly made his way to the instance's entrance.
Just as Kean was about to step into the instance, the roaring sound of helicopter blades suddenly filled the air.
Howard had finally arrived with his subordinates in tow.
From his vantage point in the helicopter, Howard immediately spotted Kean. His expression was a mix of disappointment and fury.
"Jeremy must be inside the instance!
Kean is deliberately blocking the entrance, intending for the instance's boss to eliminate Jeremy. General Howard, you must act swiftly! You can't let Jeremy be harmed by Kean!"
From the helicopter, Claire and Emma urgently addressed Howard.
Howard nodded affirmatively, "No need for further explanation, I'm already on it!"
Having said that, Howard immediately picked up his radio, "Attention all units! Our adversary is right below, at the entrance of the instance!
Let's refrain from engaging directly for now. First, we'll launch a missile strike from the helicopters. Once the missile barrage is over, I will personally lead you down to engage him in combat."
Following Howard's command, the two armed helicopters unleashed their entire arsenal of missiles.
Although the missiles posed little direct threat to Kean and the White Tower, their explosions could very well enrage the boss within the instance.
If the instance's boss were to be drawn toward the entrance, the ensuing actions for Kean and the White Tower would become exceedingly challenging.
So, the moment he saw the missiles being launched from the helicopter, Kean swiftly entered the instance, advancing rapidly towards its depths.
Ultimately, the missiles fired from the helicopter failed to hit Kean.
After the intense explosions, the terrain at the entrance of the instance was completely obliterated. The entrance itself was partially buried under the collapsed mountain caused by the missile strike.
Bonnie, who was already very close to the instance, heard the deafening sound of the missile explosions.
Slightly irritated, she muttered to herself, "Why resort to such measures?! Doesn't Howard realize that this is utterly pointless?! All he's doing is alerting the enemy."
With that, Bonnie quickened her pace.
Ultimately, she arrived at the entrance of the instance just before Howard's helicopter touched down.
As the helicopter landed, Howard immediately disembarked. He glanced at Bonnie and inquired, "You didn't encounter any dangers earlier, did you? There's no need for you to be involved in the next phase, my subordinates and I can ensure Jeremy's safety."
Upon hearing these words, Bonnie let out a derisive laugh and said,
"I don't trust you to ensure Jeremy's safety."