Chapter 73: Agarrus’s Reflection

Darwen stared blankly at the Lord of the Demon Mirror.

A helmet that reflected light like a mirror.

Red glowing eyes shone from the helmet’s eye slits.

His full-body armor was made entirely of mirror shards, and behind him, a cloak that looked like glass fluttered in the wind.

Though his appearance was flashy with all that dazzling light, the overwhelming aura he gave off was terrifying.

It was enough to make Darwen’s legs weaken on the spot.

“…He’s become a monster. Sold off even the last remnants of his humanity.”

Fighting back a suffocating urge, Darwen barely managed to speak.

Evan also sensed that this time would not be easy.

‘Is he no longer human?’

The abnormal mana and Magia radiating from him confirmed it.

The mirror he held was undoubtedly a Chaos Item.

Suddenly, a mirror identical to the one on his left arm materialized right before Evan’s eyes.

Evan smirked lightly and said, “Looks like you’re pretty mad at me, huh?”

The Magia began to surge uncontrollably.

A gloomy energy started to engulf everything around.

“Gongja!”

Darwen shouted, trying to cast a spell.

But the Lord of the Demon Mirror was one step faster.

[The Lord of the Demon Mirror used Duplicate Demon Mirror.]

Evan peered into the mirror before him.

No, he was forced to look inside as it was shoved toward him.

[The Duplicate Demon Mirror reflected your image.]

Naturally, the mirror reflected his own face.

His expressionless face—Evan’s reflection in the mirror was smirking coldly.

‘Is this his ability?’

Without realizing it, the surroundings fell silent.

Then, a strange scene took shape before Evan’s eyes.

‘Valles Clearing. But the left and right are reversed.’

Darwen and the Lord of the Demon Mirror were nowhere to be seen.

Only one figure stood before him—

A blonde boy, flipped left to right.

Evan bared his teeth and grinned.

[The Lord of the Demon Mirror is reflecting Evan’s image.]

That fake was Agarrus disguised as Evan.

“Agarrus, stop this nonsense.”

Evan provoked him, but the mirrored image only mimicked the movements of his mouth.

[You have entered the Mirror World.]

[Defeat the Lord of the Mirror (Evan).]

‘Mirror World, huh. Whatever it is, this means I have to defeat that thing.’

Evan gripped his sword and charged at him immediately.

His speed was so fast it was hard to track with the eye.

But the mirrored Evan moved just as fast.

Clang!

The two swords collided, tracing the exact same path.

The blades met precisely with no margin for error.

This was impossible even with endless practice.

Evan pulled back.

The Lord of the Mirror did the same simultaneously.

Evan widened the distance, then dashed at him again, aiming for an opening.

Clang! Clash! Clash!

Yet, no matter how Evan swung his sword, the mirror copy followed exactly.

Stride, swinging motions, aura density, even physical enhancement—everything was identical.

It felt like playing rock-paper-scissors with his own reflection.

Evan looked at the Lord of the Mirror with an expression of exhaustion.

‘This really is like a mirror, isn’t it? Even worse than a doppelgänger.’

He recalled the time he fought the doppelgänger lord in the previous world.

Back then, he had faced copies that looked just like him.

But those copies never surpassed the original.

However, this Lord of the Mirror was different.

Strength, actions, even the smallest habits…

…Maybe it even thinks the same way.

Evan’s grip tightened.

***

Darwen looked around, bewildered.

‘Where did they both go?’

After the mirror summoned in front of Evan, Agarrus and Evan vanished in an instant.

Left alone, Darwen scratched his head and took a step forward.

He was worried about Evan but had no immediate way to help.

He also needed to pay attention to the Nervan Cultists who had disappeared.

‘I have my own tasks to handle.’

Darwen recalled what Evan had said.

In this world, the entrance to the True World was not open.

That meant their obvious next move was to unseal the bindings.

They would have gone to the shrines located north, south, east, and west of Valles.

‘Connecting the fake world and the True World. And who knows what kind of power that monster will use.’

Darwen cast Levitational Magic.

A 6th Circle spell to fly through the air.

It consumed a lot of mana, so it wasn’t suitable for long distances, but Valles was manageable.

Since the situation was urgent, he decided to hurry.

Darwen’s body floated up, and he flew toward the northern shrine first.

“……Is it already too late?”

Powerful mana flows surged from the northern shrine.

Approaching closer, he saw the shrine was already gone.

A magic circle, activated and now useless, remained in its place.

‘Magic circles are one-time use. In the True World, they would explode to erase all traces after use.’

Darwen clicked his tongue and flew to the next shrine.

People hurried beneath him.

Among them, some caught Darwen’s eye.

‘Nervan Cultists?’

Their footsteps headed toward the Bell Tower.

‘Have they already unsealed everything?’

Darwen followed them toward the Bell Tower.

Upon arrival, they surrounded the tower, activating a magic circle.

However, they seemed to be struggling with something.

‘Looks like it’s not too late.’

Darwen hurried toward them.

Mana began to gather in his hands.

Then—

“Darwen, how about cooperating with us? We heard you have great interest in archaeology.”

Unexpected words came from their lips.

‘Suddenly? What are they up to?’

Darwen felt uneasy and glanced around.

Looking closely, everyone seemed clearly exhausted.

‘Something’s not going well. Perfect. Let’s find out what these guys are really planning.’

After a moment’s thought, Darwen cautiously spoke first.

“What does my interest have to do with cooperating with you?”

“You won’t have a choice but to help. This is an event that will make a huge mark on history. I’m confident about that. Researchers with skills like yours will inevitably be interested.”

The face revealed beneath his robe was covered in scars and strange, grotesque markings.

Just looking at him sent chills down the spine.

“You think you can entice me with that? What arrogance.”

Darwen scoffed in disbelief.

But inside, he felt suspicious.

After all, the tattooed man’s attitude was strangely confident.

A dark smile spread across the man’s lips.

“Our ultimate goal…”

He began, slowly raising his hand.

A summoning magic circle formed above his fully opened palm.

“A feather?”

A gem-like, beautifully pure white feather appeared.

“The goddess’s descent.”

“What? What nonsense is that…!”

Darwen chuckled dryly, ready to argue, but the man continued without pause.

“This is the Feather of the Nervan Goddess. It was obtained with great difficulty.”

Darwen’s eyes widened.

He wanted to call it a lie, but the man beat him to it.

“It’s no lie. The divine power you feel from this feather is the very power of a god. It’s incomparable even to Holy Power.”

Indeed, this strange energy was unlike anything he had ever felt.

Similar to Holy Power, yet on an entirely different level—impossible to describe in words.

“So, you say it’s the goddess’s feather. How exactly do you plan to summon the goddess here with it?”

“Simple. Just like this world that replicates the True World, we forcibly replicate the goddess and bring her down here.”

“It’s impossible in the True World, but in this world with no true master, it’s entirely possible.”

The man’s excitement was barely contained, his voice rising.

“How incredible is that? For mere humans to dare replicate a god! The real goddess doesn’t matter anymore. Because soon, the replicated goddess will lead us forever.”

“Madness!”

Hearing their plan, Darwen felt a chill run through his entire body.

Turning a fake into the real thing.

This was not just Agarrus’s story.

He was just a pawn; their true target was the goddess herself.

“This is too dangerous! Replicating a goddess is bad enough. But what if that goddess tries to kill us?”

“Don’t worry about that. I will explain slowly. That’s also why we need your help.”

Darwen swallowed hard and asked one last question.

“…What will I gain if I help you?”

The man grinned greedily.

“When the replicated goddess descends, we will place a leash to control her. Then you will have the right to study the goddess as you wish and a role as a leading figure in the coming new world. There is no choice. Either die as you are or join us. It’s a good deal for you.”

An outrageous condition.

To be allowed to research a goddess despite being human.

Darwen slowly opened his mouth.

***

Sweat drenched Evan’s entire body.

“Damn it.”

Breathing heavily, he glared at the Lord of the Demon Mirror.

No matter how much he struggled, the outcome was a stalemate.

In a way, it was absurd.

Defeating yourself was that ridiculous.

If he just delayed time, the plan of those fiends would succeed.

Evan pondered.

How to defeat himself.

And then he remembered.

Evan, yet not Evan.

‘That thing reflects me as Evan, but not as Lee Han.’

This world’s people would never know his former self from the previous world.

That was the only difference between him and this copy.

Evan recalled the Resonance Rate.

The way to gain Lee Han’s power and his only connection to Lee Han.

‘I have to recall the moment closest to my past self and synchronize the rate like back then.’

Naturally, Evan thought of when he fought the doppelgänger.

Though this situation was different, it was still worth trying within that framework.

‘Aura Blade…’

The problem was that back then, he already wielded the Aura Blade freely.

And when he defeated the doppelgänger, he used the Aura Blade.

Although he had now surpassed level 100, this was his first time using the Aura Blade in battle.

‘But I have no choice.’

Evan took a slow, deep breath and focused his mind.

Since the opponent copied his every move, there was no risk of being ambushed. Plenty of time.

‘If not now, when? I didn’t expect I’d use the Aura Blade for the first time in a real fight.’

He moved mana through his soul power, increasing its density until it transformed into Aura.

He began controlling the Aura through soul power.

‘Feels like handling a lump of metal.’

It wasn’t as difficult as he had imagined.

His level and Aura Mastery skill level had risen over time.

Softly, a faint bluish Aura Blade flickered on his sword’s edge.

But his opponent had the same.

‘No matter. The doppelgängers copied this much before. If they can copy it, that means I’m at maximum synchronization.’

Focusing all his mind on the Aura Blade, Evan charged at the enemy.

He swung his sword as if fighting a doppelgänger.

Clang!

Two Aura Blades clashed.

It felt very similar to when he fought the doppelgänger.

Then—

[Aura Mastery skill level has increased.]

[Resonance Rate increased by 2.20%.]

[Resonance Rate increased by 1.30%.]

[You have learned the Second Form of Ihan.]

As the Resonance Rate rose sharply, Evan gained new power from Lee Han.