Time passed quickly as Max immersed himself in studying, Kraxtal Weaving, and experimenting with his telekinetic powers. The cave was filled with the hum of energy as tools and materials floated around him, guided by his mind.

By the end of the third day, Max had made significant progress. He also figured out that he seemed smarter and his thought process was faster, most probably because of his improved stats. But it was about time to move, and he had to stop for now.

....

Meanwhile, Lucy had been busy. Over the past three days, she had moved through multiple mountains, producing a staggering amount of special explosives. The containers were neatly arranged at the base of the current mountain, their surfaces gleaming faintly in the sunlight.

Although this was just the amount produced by this mountain alone as Max had already stored the rest.

Next, he stored this batch inside his many space rings, ensuring they were secure and ready for use.

"Good job, Lu," Max said, his tone appreciative. "You've outdone yourself this time."

Lucy appeared in front of Max, her green light pulsed faintly, her tiny form glowing with pride.

With everything prepared, Max pulled Lucy and the crows into the pet space. He stretched his wings, feeling the familiar surge of power as he took to the skies.

The city with the mine was his destination. Max had more than enough explosives to not only ensure the mine's complete destruction, but the vaporization of everything within range, and just as a bonus on top of it he plans to use the cannon to set it off.

...

Max arrived at the bustling city by noon. The city's atmosphere was heavy, the air filled with the constant hum of industrial activity. Buildings were coated in a fine layer of soot, and the streets were crowded with weary workers and traders hurrying to finish their errands.

The mine loomed ominously in the distance, a scar on the city's otherwise rugged beauty. Its towering machinery groaned loudly, and faint tremors rumbled through the ground as workers toiled relentlessly.

Once, a railway had passed through this part of the city, but it had been redirected to avoid the expanding excavation site. Now, the tracks were left abandoned, a silent reminder of what the mine had displaced.

"huh? That should be the railway of the train I was on back than!...." remarked Max as he scouted the place à little.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

....

After some quick observations, Max found the closest hotel to the mine, an aged but sturdy building that offered an unobstructed view of the site. The receptionist barely glanced at him as he checked in, handing him a room key and muttering a number before returning to their paperwork. The room itself was sparse but functional, with a single window overlooking the sprawling industrial complex of the mine.

Inside the room, Max wasted no time. After locking the door, he activated his [Mirror Image] on a random mirror he pulled.

The mirror deformed and twisted, and soon enough, A perfect replica of himself appeared before him, standing motionless like a statue. Max's eyes scrutinized the image , his mind racing with calculations.

Without hesitation, he reached out and snapped the image's black wings with a sharp crack, and simply threw the wings to the side.

Next, he grabbed a dagger from his spatial storage and, with surgical precision, sliced the head in half, at just the right angle for the face to fall down. The clone's severed head tilted forward before rolling onto the floor, leaving no trace of blood or gore behind.

Max wasn't done. He kept cutting the head making sure it had nothing similar to him, until it was just a funny straight object.

Next He adjusted the clone's hands, creating subtle deformity, especially for the skin and the mirror parts that look like clothes. He reshaped its torso as well, flattening one side. Satisfied with his alterations, he pulled out a jar of black paint from his storage and began painting the clone with steady hands.

He had this paint in his space ring for a long time now, and it found a use eventually.

The reason he picked black was because he checked the rocks around the mine and they were pitch black.

"This should offer some natural invisibility in the dark."

....

By the time Max finished, the image no longer resembled him. It was unrecognizable, a grotesque and anonymous figure, perfect for the task ahead.

Next Max closed his eyes and switched prospective controlling the image, just to be surprised by a completely dark vision.

He could move, but it was dark, he couldn't see, nore hear.

Max switched to his real body.

"huh? So the sences in this image is actually related to its organs!... Hmm should be solvable with Mystic eye though."

Without wasting time Max used Mystic eye and switch prospective to it while controlling the image.

Looking and moving around Max was satisfied, It was quite dizzying but it worked.

The feeling was like having to move his eyes separately from his body and head, and the fact that this body was broken made it worse.

.....

Next he placed the distorted clone in the corner of the room next to mirror against the wall of the bed room.

With one last glance, he placed a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door and left the hotel.

....

Max wandered through the streets until he found a small coffee shop. It was tucked into a quiet corner, away from the noise of the main thoroughfare.

'This should do...from this place the mine is within the range of [world of mirrors], and on the opposite I can simply leave the city through the mirror world.'

Max calculated the distance then left the city and quickly placed a silver mirror card at a certain spot outside exactly 500m away from the shop.

Next he went back to the city entering the coffee shop.

He ordered a simple drink and settled into a seat by the window, his eyes fixed on the distant mine deep in thoughts.

He wasn't sure if there was mirrors within the mine, he could simply throw a simple broken fragment inside, or place it in the pocket of a miner, but he didn't want to risk alerting anyone.

"Well let's wait and see..."

....

Max enjoyed his a simple meal with a cup of coffee, as he waited for nightfall before making a move.

He took a sip of his hot coffee, while curiously observing the city.

The mine dominated the city, not just physically but economically and socially. The towering machinery and gaping pits were surrounded by makeshift housing for workers, most of whom looked exhausted as they shuffled to and from the site. The mine's operations had drained the surrounding area, leaving the landscape barren and lifeless.