Running through the various paths laid before him, Luke continued to meditate. Above all else, he would clear out the next set of mirrors. After that, he’d have to look into the other rows. Even if it was only to clear the mirrors with gray crystals above them.
Getting into a meditative trance let him sort a few worries out. He took out another piece of wraith cloth and tied it. The resulting circle of cloth would be enough to act as a blindfold when needed. He would place it around his neck and use it when aiming for the gray crystals later.
Next, he went over the Interface, which was becoming sparse in log notices that mattered.
[Your artifact, Wayfinder, has reached level 9]
Wayfinder’s leveling speed slowed immensely. Luke cleared an entire mirror realm, yet the artifact had gained only a single level. Speed reading over Wayfinder’s tooltip, the change was Polar South had turned into rank II. The cooldown remained the same, ten minutes. He’d have to trust that the insight would be more significant the next time he used Polar South.
Moving on to the last notice, he read through the number of stats he stole in that last mirror realm.
[You have stolen 68 HP and 52 Agility]
Luke was happy, of course, but this confirmed a theory he’d been cooking in the back of his head.
There was a limit to how many stats he could steal from a monster. A threshold had to be met. He couldn’t just farm rats all day to gain stats. He’d outgrown what he could steal from them.
With those void stalkers not granting any strength or intellect at all, this meant he passed the threshold for what those creatures could give. Luke’s intellect and strength were too high for an agility-based creature at level 17.
Luke would bet that if he faced them again, he would gain only HP and nothing else. Knowing this stat cycle had a limit gave a sort of comfort. That made the remaining plan to clear this hall simple.
First, to finish the next set of mirrors, so he’d always be one mirror realm away from getting those two giant stone doors open. Then, to take what time he had left and find out if his hunch about the gray crystals was correct. Last, try to hunt down specific types of beasts to maximize the stats he could gain in this mirror hall.
Once those three tasks were done, he could open those doors in peace. If Luke couldn’t beat the odds and the Spectral Lord was impossible, he’d die knowing no stone was left unturned. The unease in Luke’s heart settled.
Listening to the faint crashing of water, he just breathed in place. Part of him did not want to move and instead enjoyed the rare peace. Letting his mind free, Luke grew curious. He shot Xera a question.
“Hey Xera, now that we’ve got some time, why don’t you tell me about your last Reaver? Did you have any others besides him?”
The sword wand didn’t jump to talk as she usually did. When the silence dragged on for over a few seconds, Luke spoke again.
“You don’t have to force yourself if it’s too uncomfortable.”
“No, I just didn’t want to scare you, Luke. I mean, with a super amazing wand sword like me, you’ll be fine! But…”
“But?”
“A divine smith made me at the request of that hooded control freak. He never even let me play! Just throws me in a chest, leaving a bunch of cryptic comments the whole way. Something about leaving a lifeline for the next ‘true’ Reaver. Whatever that means!”
Xera was skirting around what she really wanted to say. Luke gave her time. He learned to have patience. Trying to make friends with a baby crow is a good way for that to happen.
“Anyway, there’s no easy way to say it, is there? All six of them died. You’ve made it further than five so far! So don’t worry too much. Heh…” The normally cheery Xera became dour.
“And the sixth?”
“She was the brash one I mentioned from time to time. She sure knew how to use a sword! Not the best with a wand, though. Her companion was a turtle, can you imagine? She made it work and did so incredibly well. That spectral bastard took her from me. I just want to be free…”
While Luke was sorry for her loss, he had to get to the heart of the issue.
“Compared to me, was she a stronger Reaver?”
Xera didn’t answer, but that told Luke everything he needed to know.
“That settles it without a doubt then. If I rush to go face the Spectral Lord now, it’d be a fool’s errand.”
He pat Sooty, signaling her it was time to get moving. The corvid had been listening intently. Hopping around to stretch her muscles, she looked at Xera for a while. Luke often wondered if she understood the words of others. He’d like to think she did.
Pacing around, once his muscles felt slackened, Luke held Wayfinder and took him off. Judging how many paces it would be to the next pair of mirrors, he shifted the already-tied wraith cloth over his eyes.
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Once the cloth was fully settled, Luke spoke to Wayfinder. “Wayfinder, I don’t think Xera is exactly in the mood to talk, so I’ll count on you to tell me what each mirror has.”
“Ai lad, you can count on it. Me golden shell will account for any kind of beastie.” Wayfinder said.
Stepping slowly, Luke could hear his feet pelt on the stone floor. The smell of water became more potent as he approached the two waterfalls streaming down beside the gigantic stone doors.
“Stop here lad. I can get a good look at both pieces of glass.”
Luke halted in his tracks and let Wayfinder observe as he needed.
“Lad, under no circumstances do you shatter the glass to your left,” Wayfinder whispered lowly.
“Worse than the siege beasts?” Luke questioned.
“The siege beasties are wee babes compared to the two leviathans swimming in abyssal water here. Much like that earlier flame, there’s no way you can beat those monstrosities. Try again when you can breathe water, split mountains, and treat dragons to tea time.”
Treat dragons to tea? Luke couldn’t imagine that ever happening. He snapped out of the thought and continued the conversation with Wayfinder.
“Our right side then?”
“Another aquatic type, a lair of jadeite eels. They’re numerous enough that I can’t make out the exact number, but the lot of them are level 18. Me spidy needle senses are tellin’ me it’s best you don’t go in this time. Scatter the glass, and let them come to you.”
Back peddling to the previous row of mirrors, Luke took off his improvised blindfold. He searched his memory for a moment. Then he eyed Sooty. When his feathered friend looked at a mirror last time, it took longer to break.
To be safe, he used that nuance to his advantage this time. Going through the usual routine, Luke cast his abilities optimally, and Xera was back in wand form, pulsing a misty silver cloud from Essence Bond.
“Go ahead, Sooty, get ready to fly away if things go south,” Luke warned.
Tilting her head in the fashion birds are known for, Sooty stared at the mirror holding the underwater realm infested by jadeite eels. Luke got the shivers thinking about it. Who likes eels anyway? Luke was sure anyone who said they did was lying or out of their mind.
Suppressing his intense dislike of eels, the mirror crumbled. The process went as he had hoped. The spider web of cracks took their time. And to his relief, there wasn’t a veritable wall of water coming out.
That was where the good news ended. Turns out, jadeite eels can float lowly above the ground. Who would’ve thought? Not willing to risk breaking the other mirror potentially with his or Sooty’s abilities, Luke waited patiently for the eels to get their bearings.
Ranks upon ranks of slithering gray and brown eels left their mirror realm. The creatures were slow in their movement. Leaving the water must’ve done that. Even more reason not to go in. With them taking their sweet time, Luke had the opportunity to get an Interface read on his opponents.
[Jadeite Eel]
Level: 18
HP: 550/550
Despite their appearance, the nobles of Artum love these eels for sushi. Also, for loyal pets. It’s an idiotic display of social standing.
A jet of water rudely interrupted him. Leaning to the side, a small cut appeared on his skin. The eels had all come out, and a wiggling mass of sea beasts took over the entire space between two mirrors. The eels didn’t come any closer. Those slimy things were excellent at fighting at range.
“Damn it.” Luke couldn’t help but say.
As more jets came his way, Luke found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he used his abilities, he may shatter the mirror with Leviathans. If he had only tested earlier with another mirror, he wouldn’t be so indecisive right now.
A direct water arrow was about to hit Luke. Sooty reacted in time, letting her Iron Feather take most of the blow. The pressurized water slammed into his chest, and he had the wind knocked out of him. Eighty five damage appeared in his line of sight.
Just my luck, the glass cannon type. Luke thought.
Wayfinder no longer held his peace, “Lad, dive into another mirror realm. If the beasties can follow you in, great, even if they can’t, it’s better than getting soaked to your bones here.”
Going into action, Luke made a split-second decision. Rather than go into the Void beast environment behind him, he catapulted himself to the Infernal Demon realm instead. That decision cost him another water jet to his back. Dealing an additional ninety damage.
Coming into the arid and hot wasteland once more, Luke felt the pressure drop immensely. With the eels floating just above the ground, the only movement he could hear was when they slithered over each other. The little bastards still wouldn’t come in, and more water-based attacks tried to blast Luke to the next life.
Pivoting his body, he swerved, avoiding each attack. Taking the momentum, he rolled back, finally out of their line of sight. Frustrated roars abounded around his ears. Even if it cost him some health, coming to this realm out of the two was the correct choice.
There were no worries for air here, and his fire resistance stat mitigated the usual negatives of being in an overly hot place. Plus, Luke bet this place would be a natural disadvantage to eels that usually lived in water.
“Ready yourself lad, this will be your chance to squash those buggers.” Wayfinder reminded.
Sooty tensed with feathers prickling. Luke preemptively changed Xera into wand form. For a moment, there was silence.
“Don’t use your screech until almost all of those slippery bastards are in here. Do your hit-and-run style, Sooty.” This was the best counter Luke could come up with.
The first couple of eel heads poked into the arid, blazing-hot environment. They looked around, spotting Luke. Their one trick-pony ability to shoot water attacks came out again. Adjusting to their style, Luke stepped back, coming behind the mirror entrance.
The beasts reluctantly started to come out into the hostile environment. Steam came from their bodies, and each looked like they deflated from moisture loss. Sooty sprang forward. With her body naturally small, the eels struggled to land even a drop of water onto her.
Intending to steal their attention, Sooty mainly dodged and dove around rather than fight. Occasionally taking an opportunity to strike when it presented itself.
More and more legions of eels came into the Infernal realm. The longer they stayed, the more exhausted they became. If the eels could be trapped here, Luke figured Sooty could take this whole group by herself now, only due to the environment doing most of the work.
Taking their sweet time wasn’t in the cards; he’d instead get into the thick of things. A portion of the eels began to ignore Sooty, with them being unable to land any attacks. Instead, they started to move away from their group.
Luke prepared and cast Essence Bond on Xera, maximizing her output. With her innate passive, the ability immediately came back off cooldown. Unwilling to let a large group of sitting ducks go, Luke pointed Xera at the most central eel.
Essence Bond appeared, and rather than using her screech like usual, Sooty landed a Reaver Beak first on that eel. Soaring back into the sky, she gained enough distance for the optimal strike zone. Letting Essence Screech rip, the strengthened Essence Bond spread like a disease.
With the stage set, Luke got ready to shatter these glass cannon types. A swirling lance rippled around Xera. Primed to act like a tactical strike.
“Essence Lance.”