LIGHTNOVELONLINE V3.11 Mirror Mirror
I looked down at the stones Drohkus left in my lap. There were six of them. I picked one up and noticed it was a soul shard to grant me shards. “Did he just pay me for talking to him?”
Shadara shivered. “It’s an effective strategy. He’s set you up to feel like you have to tell him, and he rewards you when you do tell him. It’s as twisted as you can get.”
I rubbed my temples. “Yeah, but he didn’t give me any trouble about it.” I gave a weak smile. “I guess I got off lucky.”
Killa wrapped her arms around my shoulders. ”No, this means you really need to leave. Take the shards and get some sleep before we leave.”
One by one, I pushed the shards into my chest, accepting the shards. Each one was worth ten thousand shards. I also took the time to add my stat points to my arcane.
Name: Rina Lone Augments:
Level: 35 Cellular Regeneration
Agility: 342 Synthetic eyes: lvl. 2
Arcane: 255 HUD
Power: 100 Mana battery (shadow) integration
Quickness: 560 Arm blade (right), Retractable
Resilience: 260 Synthetic tendons (legs) lvl. 2
Toughness: 270 Synthetic muscle (legs) lvl. 2
Unassigned Points: 0 Synthetic bones (legs) lvl. 1
Shards: 109,300 Synthetic bones (arms) lvl. 1
Synthetic tendons (arms) lvl. 2
Shadow Powers: Synthetic muscle (arms) lvl. 2
Manifestation lvl. 6 Epidermal plating (arms) lvl. 2
Shaping lvl. 6 Epidermal plating (legs) lvl. 2
Distance lvl. 1 Sub-dermal plating (torso) lvl. 2
Synthetic muscle (torso) lvl. 1
Nanobot Blood Replacement
I kicked off my boots and placed my jacket next to my bed before curling up in the bed. Orange, please, let me sleep without dreaming. I don’t think I could handle them right now.
A dreamless sleep swallowed me. It was as if time stood still, and my consciousness turned off in a state of serene oblivion. The world around me faded, and all that remained was blissful nothingness. No dreams, no nightmares—just absolute stillness.
A gentle prodding from Shadara woke me up. My eyes snapped open to see her staring down at me. “Please tell me you didn’t do anything in your sleep.”
I sat up. “No. That was the fastest night I’ve ever experienced. There wasn’t even a dream.”
Thanks for that, Orange. I didn’t know you could do that.
We can influence which chemicals are transported throughout your body now. We simply urged your normal body chemistry to promote sleep through an increased production of melatonin and a reduction in cortisol.
I hung my feet off the edge of the bed and kicked them slightly. My black metal feet glistened in the morning light.
Shadara knelt into my vision. “Are you feeling alright?”
I sighed. “Even after sleeping, everything that happened yesterday feels heavy. I got what I wanted. That creature that wanted to kill me because I’m an artificial soul… ” I hung my head. “She has a name now. A name that’s stuck in my head: Nyx. We came here to learn how to kill her, and we did that. Now, I don’t want to kill her.”
Killa sat on the bed beside me. She brushed a hair out of my face. I turned to her and smiled. The slime girl had taken on a much more curvy shape than usual. She wore a white and blue dress. “You said it yourself yesterday, she’s no longer a threat to us. It’s time you moved on.”
“Moved on to what?”
Killa stood up and pulled me to my feet. “Let me show you something.” I followed her to the window. The slime pointed out the window. “Do you see what that is?”
I looked out to see that the fortress was still the same as last night, except the sun was rising. “Is there something specific I’m supposed to be looking for?”
“It’s the sunrise,” Killa answered with a deadpan expression. “Every day, the sun rises and the sun sets. It doesn’t stop. Life goes on. The world doesn’t stop for anyone or anything. People lose their lives, and they are forgotten. But the world doesn’t stop to mourn them. It keeps going. People make new lives, and the cycle continues. You need to learn to do the same. Because that’s what it will do to you.”
“Cynical,” I mumbled.
Killa waved her hand. “True, but life’s a lot more unforgiving and colder than that.”
I put my hand on her shoulder as I turned around. “Thanks for trying to cheer me up. I get what you’re saying, but killing others to live—it doesn’t feel right.”
“Rina, others won’t share your sense of morality.” Shadara held her hands out, presenting the room. “You know that, right? What happened here is a good example. This place is crawling with undead. These undead have been more accommodating than the beastmen, but they were willing to kill you either way. Killing here is as natural as breathing.”
I looked down at my hand. “Killing Lorrean was unnecessary. If I let Nyx kill herself, I might as well have killed her myself, and it feels like I would betray my right to live. That’s not what I want.”
Killa rubbed the top of my head. “Then don’t kill anyone; you don’t have to. If you can’t do it, then let us. We’re in this together. You don’t have to carry the load alone.”
My gaze drifted back to the sunrise. The world keeps on turning. “Then let’s just not put ourselves in situations where we have to kill people.”
Killa smiled. “That sounds more than fair. So, who’s ready for some breakfast?”
I looked at my energy level. The stress had gotten to me, but I was still over fifty-five hundred percent energy. “I’m good for another fifty days if we do nothing.”
Shadara chuckled. “Yeah, I’m going to need something. I’m not like the two of you. I have to eat on a regular basis.”
Killa shrugged. “Suit yourself. We still have all our supplies, so it’s as good a time as any to set out. Hopefully, we can get out quietly.”
Shadara took a small swig of a meal potion while downing it with lots of water. I took the time to get dressed again. Afterwards, I led us out with the use of the map Orange made for my HUD of the place. The eerie silence of the halls followed us into the main throne room. Everything was empty.
We kept our heads down as we headed for the door. But the moment my hand touched the door, a familiar voice called out from behind us.
“I wish you would’ve stayed.” Drohkus stood behind us. He drummed his fingers on the shaft of his staff. “My offer still stands. I can give you money, magical training, powerful equipment, or anything else. All you need to do is help me study your soul.”
I shook my head. “No. I still need to reach the top.”
“What for?” the demilich asked.
I held my hands up to present my two sworn sisters. “For them. Killa wants to taste what the world has to offer, and Shadara wants to satisfy her curiosity.”
I could feel Drohkus’s stare bare down on me. “But what do you want?”
I smiled while giving Killa a nod. “I don’t know. But that’s okay. I have time to figure that out. To learn what I want, I can’t stay here. So, I’m leaving. You said if we wanted to leave, we could choose to.”
Drohkus leaned back. “And you are. Your reasoning is fair enough. So go. But know that once you leave this floor, my offer will be gone forever.”
There’s no going backwards on floors, and if I do make it to the top, I can’t travel through the Nexus again. “That’s fine. But why are you still on this floor? You’re obviously very powerful. Why not climb the Soul Nexus and have a wish granted?”
The demilich laughed. “I’ve already done so. This floor is a world I can do as I please. The beastmen are allowed to have their war because I don’t care enough to kill them all, yet. I have a floor to spend my eternity on, allowing me to experiment in any way I want.”
All three of our jaws dropped. He’s one of the five who succeeded in climbing the Soul Nexus? But he…
He headed out of the room. “Since you asked such a caring question, I’ll spare this piece of advice for you. Once the Nexus takes an interest in you, it won’t let you go. There’s a myth about the monkey’s paw. I’m trapped here just as you are, even more so in some ways. Now, be careful what you wish for.”
Before I could utter anything, he was gone.
“He reached the top of the Nexus? He succeeded?” Shadara stumbled back into the door.
The slime girl held up a finger to me. “That’s more than a little frightening. I thought those who succeeded were free to leave. Maybe he got his wish, but it still looks like the Nexus won in the end.”
“But then, why grant wishes?” I asked.
“Catching flies with honey,” she answered. “But why keep the fact that he climbed to the top a secret? Is he not allowed to tell people? But then, why tell us?”
Shadara shook her head. “Whatever the reason, I think it’s best we leave, and quickly. The thought of him is making my fur stand up on end.”
I nodded. “Yeah, he probably has his reasons. But I don’t think I want to find out what they are. The Nexus is studying souls. He’s studying souls. I’m sure the Nexus is watching him closely. If he draws too much attention to himself, I’m sure the Nexus would do something.”
We headed out; the undead didn’t even look in our direction as we headed to the gate. They didn’t stop us. The gate opened up as we got close, and with a quick exchange of glances, we continued on our way.
As we neared the edge of the zone, we focused ongoing to the next floor. Everything flashed white, and then we were standing outside a desolate field with a ruined structure. There were plenty of walls, but the ceiling was gone.
Silently, we made our way into the building to find ourselves in a large open room with one doorway where a stone archway stood behind. Sitting in the middle of the room was a male sphinx.
He grinned as he watched us walk in. His lion-like body was lying on the ground while he rested his head on his crossed paws. His human head had short black hair and green eyes. His expression was more playful than hostile.
The sphinx spoke up before I could. “Welcome, Rina, Killa, and Shadara. I am the sphinx who guards this floor.“
I froze. “How do you know our names?”
His grin widened. “I know much more than your names. In this place, you face something more.”
I looked around. The room was large but empty, apart from a large golden mirror hanging on a wall.
The sphinx’s wing pointed to the wing. “In the mirror, you see who you are and where you’ve been. But in this mirror, you will see what could’ve been. Each of you must face this challenge alone. You must prove your mastery of yourself and your choices, some of which for you must atone.”
He stood up, stretching his wings wide. “Decide which of you is first to face the mirror.”
Shadara raised her hand first. “I’ll do it.”
I grabbed her shoulder. She turned to me with a confused look. I smiled at her. “Good luck.”
She smiled back. “Thanks, I’ll need it.”
The sphinx clapped his hands together. “Shadara, step before the mirror, and it will show you what you have chosen not to see.”
The panther woman did as she was told. The mirror glowed as it swirled with silver energy. I gasped as a panther beastwoman walked out of the mirror. Shadara looked horrified at the woman, who looked a lot like her.
There were several key differences in their appearance. The woman who walked out of the mirror had larger breasts and hips and a thinner waist. Her hair and tail were longer, too. But the fact that she was wearing what looked like a harem dancer with sheer silks was nothing like the Shadara I knew.
Shadara took several shaky steps backwards. “I didn’t. No, I couldn’t have.”
The doppelganger grinned as she stretched out her arms. “Oh, love, but you did. I’m you. The you you could’ve been if you hadn’t run away from home. If you hadn’t run to this little dimension.”
The doppelganger laughed as she pointed to herself. Her grin widened. “I’m you if you had taken him as a lover. I’m you, but so much more.”
The doppelganger sauntered over to Shadara until she was nose-to-nose with her. “You could’ve had it all. A man to give you children. A family to call your own. A real home. You could’ve had it all, but you ran from it. Power, love, money, safety, everything was but one answer away. You were a coward. But I’m you if you only said yes to him.”
Shadara clenched her fists. “I’m not a coward. I’m here, facing the Soul Nexus. I’m not a coward.” She swung at her double. “And I will never accept him as a lover. I will never change myself for others.”
The doppelganger easily slid around her fist, dodging it. She then kicked Shadara in the leg while wrapping her legs around my companion’s waist. With a twist of her body, she threw Shadara to the ground while landing on the panther woman’s back. “But aren’t you curious?”
She leaned down to whisper into Shadara’s ear. “You could’ve changed your body anytime, in any way you can imagine. Every day could be a new adventure, a new experience. Isn’t that something that excites you? You can experience love in a new way every time. The possibilities are endless. How can you not want that?”
Shadara growled as she shoved herself up, knocking the doppelganger off her. She swung her staff at the double-ganger, who leaned back to avoid it. The doppelganger grabbed Shadara’s arm with her tail. She pulled Shadara off balance and kicked her in the stomach, sending her to the ground.
The doppelganger held her arms out to present herself. “I know you because I am you. If you don’t want to live this way, then fight me. Fight me, and I will go away. But if you fail, you’ll be my toy, just like I’m his.”
With a fierce growl, she lunged forward, swinging her staff wildly. The doppelganger danced agilely out of the way, her movements fluid and effortless. Is she dancing? Shadara’s strikes met nothing but air as her opponent taunted her with each graceful dodge.
Shadara kept swinging left and then striking right, aiming for the doppelganger’s legs. Her staff connected with nothing. The doppelganger giggled as she countered with a twirl and swift kick that sent Shadara stumbling back.
Gritting her teeth, Shadara regained her balance and charged once more. She unleashed a flurry of strikes, each one aimed at the elusive woman. But the doppelganger’s movements were unpredictable as she weaved and dodged with uncanny grace.
The more I watched her move, her body seemed unnaturally flexible, bending at more angles so that Shadara’s staff would miss by inches every time.
Shadara thrust her staff at her doppelganger again. Instead of moving to the side, she leaned back, folding herself in half as if she didn’t have a spine. She then flicked her legs up, kicking Shadara in the chin and sending her upwards as she dropped her staff. The doppelganger caught the staff with her tail as she cartwheeled to her feet.
“Such an ugly way to fight.” Her face twisted in disgust as she threw the staff away. “You’re too weak. He taught you magic to make you stronger. Yet you barely touched the full potential of it. All you have to do is let go of that pesky belief that your body is sacred. You can transform your body to make yourself the perfect lover for anyone.”
As if to punctuate her point, two bat wings grew out of her back as her tail doubled in length. She took a step forward, but her body shifted into a harpy. She stepped forward again, her body shifting into a centaur.
She continued in a mocking tone. “The world is filled with so many possibilities, so many options, and you’re too afraid to explore them.”
The doppelganger shifted into a male dragonkin. She stalked towards Shadara. “But I’m not afraid. I’m you, but better. I’ve explored the boundaries of my body and soul. It’s magnificent.”
Shadara rolled over, spitting up some blood and coughing. “You can be anyone you want. But can you be yourself? Everything you do is to make yourself perfect for everyone but yourself. Do you even remember who you were before? Do you remember the girl who would climb to the top of trees just to taste the difference in the fruits?”
Shadara stood up, her legs were shaking as she held a hand to her stomach. “When you can be anyone, you lose your identity. I chose to keep myself intact. That’s what I chose. That’s what this is about. I’m not a coward. You are. Can you look in the mirror anymore?”
With a snarl, the doppelganger shifted once more, this time into a towering, beastial version of Shadara herself. She swiped her claws as Shadara ducked and dodged them. Shadara’s movements were faster, while her doppelganger’s were slower. The doppelganger shifted again into a furry snake version of herself.
Shadara ran backwards and drew her bow. She fired off two shots as her enemy slithered at a terrifying speed towards her. The snake creature flicked her tail and swatted away Shadara’s bow before circling her. Shadara tried to run, but she wasn’t fast enough. She was grabbed from behind, and the snake coiled around, constricting her.
I took a step towards her, but a large white-feathered wing caught me. The sphinx glared at me. “Do not interfere. You can only watch from here. If you run to aid her, you forfeit yourself and her. This is your only warning.”
I stepped back and swallowed the lump in my throat, as I couldn’t help but watch the snake squeeze my sworn sister.
Shadara screamed as the snake tightened its coils. She struggled to break free, but it was futile. Her body was being crushed. She was gasping for air as her eyes bulged. It felt like minutes passed by, but I knew it was only seconds.
Shadara screamed in pain as her body started breaking. Cracks sounded as her limbs contorted within the coils. Her voice became hoarse as she let out another scream. She then bit down on the snake. The snake shrieked and recoiled in surprise, releasing Shadara, who fell to the ground, gasping for breath.
The snake uncoiled itself, allowing Shadara to escape. She got to her feet and stumbled away, her breathing ragged. She glanced back at the snake, who shifted back to the form she arrived in. Shadara continued to stumble backward until she reached the opposite end of the room, her movements labored and uneven.
Shadara pulled out a vial with a regeneration potion. She downed it as quickly as she could. Her breathing was sounding less hoarse with each breath as she grabbed another vial.
The doppelganger sprinted towards her. “Oh no, you don’t.”
She jumped and kicked the vial away from Shadara before she could drink it. Her kick continued, and her other leg collided with Shadara’s face, sending her to the ground. Shadara looked up at me from the ground.
I clenched my fist as hard as I could. I want to help her so badly. But that will only get us killed. “Just stop this already. She’s failed.”
The sphinx shook his head. “No. She hasn’t given up yet.”
Shadara reached into her potion bag and grabbed another vial as she slowly pushed herself up. The doppelganger’s knee drove into the panther woman’s gut, forcing her to drop the vial and stumble backwards to the ground again.
That’s the vial of my blood!
The doppelganger picked up the vial. “Another potion? You’ve become desperate. I’ll just seal your fate by drinking this instead of you.”
I should stop her. Shadara grinned as she turned to me and winked. That was on purpose? She doesn’t want me to stop her. My hand trembled as I brought it up to my chest.
The doppelganger popped the vial open and moved to drink it. With a burst of speed, Shadara jumped to her feet and punched the vial into her doppelganger’s face. Shards of broken glass and my blood covered her face.
She screamed as she covered her face and stumbled back. Shadara panted heavily as she shook her hand. There were no cuts on it, but I did see some blood on it. I zoomed my vision on her hand and breathed a sigh of relief as there were no open wounds.
The shards of glass hit the ground as the doppelganger removed her hands from her face. There was no sign of her face being sliced open through a dozen shards of glass. “You’re lucky I can fix my perfect face. Otherwise, I’d be really…” She paused as her face contorted in confusion. “What did you do?”
Shadara grinned. “I win.”
The doppelganger stumbled backward as her body started to shake. Her eyes bulged as her mouth opened wide. She began screaming, her voice a mix of pain and anger. Her body contorted in unnatural ways as it changed from one form to another. The process was gruesome, as her body desperately tried to stop herself from falling apart.
Blood poured out of her body through every orifice as she screamed, thrashed, and transformed into one grotesque mess after another. Shadara scooped up her staff and hurled it like a javelin through the center of the writhing mass. The body stopped changing and fell to the ground before melting into a pile of liquid.
Shadara turned away, and it looked like she was going to be sick. I ran to her and hugged her. I pulled her away from what remained of the doppelganger.
The sphinx walked over to the liquid. He raised his wing and pointed his claw down at the liquid. A beam of light shot from his claw into the liquid. The liquid bubbled and disintegrated.
“Victory is yours,” the sphinx said with a wide smile. “Not the method I foresaw, but a victory nonetheless. You’re free to pass or stay with the other two while they look through the mirror.”
Shadara stumbled to the wall and gingerly sat down. “I’m gonna stay here. She really messed me up there.”
Killa headed over to us. “Do you need anything? The regeneration potion will help. I have to give you credit for ingenuity, but that’s not the purpose of giving you Rina’s blood.”
Shadara leaned her head against the wall as she closed her eyes. “I know. But you said your blood was dangerous. I just wasn’t expecting it to be that dangerous. It’s just that I was desperate. I didn’t stand a chance against her.” She cracked open one eye. “And I’ll explain what she was talking about after you finish your trials.”
The sphinx stood behind us. “Who will challenge second?”
If her challenge was that difficult, is ours going to be just as hard? I don’t think I want to do this anymore.
Killa walked up to the mirror. “I’ll go next.”