Jake immediately noticed he wasn't the only one left dumbstruck by this latest revelation. It wasn't the concept of a virtual universe within the Mirror Universe that was astounding, but rather their utter ignorance of it until now.
In truth, numerous virtual reality options already existed in most civilizations that had surpassed the information age. Hell, he even worked at a VR center before receiving his own bracelet!
Thus, any modern faction or nation of consequence would eventually develop such technology within their territories, whether for facilitating information transfer, socializing, entertainment, or military purposes like New Earth and its Trial Worlds game.
The enigma didn't lie there. The true peculiarity was Jake's complete unawareness of a unified virtual reality network connecting every corner of the Mirror Universe. The reason for this was evident: cost.