Chapter 342: Mirror Sprite (62K First Chapter)

The Third Commandment Wing has always been regarded in the monastery as a terrifying prison holding the most vicious and evil heretical prisoners.

Although it is now essentially Herbert's personal backyard where he can wander freely, this applies only to the floors he has already conquered.

Although the imprisoned monster girls are not strictly arranged by strength, the final few floors house only even more powerful and dangerous entities.

Although Herbert met all the prisoners under the Archbishop's guidance, his memories from the fifth floor onward were sealed.

He has fragmented, hazy memories, but he remembers nothing specific about what he saw.

He only knows he went there—nothing else remains.

It was like having a dream that left no trace upon waking—open your eyes, and everything is gone.

He enjoyed himself in the dream, but nothing carried back to reality—not even the details of the fights.

Oh, that's too absolute; not everything is lost.

At least, on certain specific occasions, his underwear still needs washing.

Even Nie Nasha cannot break the sealing imposed by the Archbishop for protective reasons; it can only be lifted once Herbert truly gains the power to enter.

And now, as Herbert steps into the sixth floor, his memories of the sixth floor finally awaken completely.

The sixth floor: the Mirror Space.

Or, as it is called, the "Prism Corridor."

In this corridor-prison entirely made of mirrors, there stretches an almost endless mirror space.

And this endless mirror space is the most unbearable torment for the prisoners confined here.

Herbert no longer needs to ask the prisoner's name.

He remembers.

【Faceless One】、【Silver-Tongued Mirror】、【Mirror Person】—Lukariya

The Archbishop gave very little introduction to this prisoner, mentioning neither her origins nor the reason for her imprisonment.

He only said she is not particularly dangerous, though she holds an Epic rank, she possesses little actual combat ability.

However, this does not mean Lukariya can be let off guard.

Because in another sense, she is an extremely dangerous monster.

In terms of destructive potential, she even surpasses Valentina!

Lukariya's race is the Mirror Sprite.

Like common Flower Sprites, Tree Sprites, River Sprites… the Mirror Sprite is a type of sprite that emerges in specific environments.

Since mirrors are rare in nature, Mirror Sprites are also extremely scarce, making them a rare species among sprites.

Like all sprite-type monsters, Mirror Sprites have a malicious temperament and love playing pranks.

However, due to differences in moral values, not everyone can accept their "pranks."

Well, in fact, almost no one can accept them.

Mirror Sprites hide within others' mirrors, replacing the original reflection, observing the person who looks into the mirror, and imitating their habits.

Additionally, they deliberately leave subtle flaws, waiting for the thrill of being discovered.

For example, making the reflection lag a fraction of a second, letting the mirror viewer vaguely sense it, then restoring normalcy when they pay attention.

Or leaving one flaw behind—a strand of silver hair, the pupil, the teeth… prompting the mirror viewer to find the difference.

Once their trail is fully exposed, the Mirror Sprite will mock them brazenly using their appearance.

When the mirror they inhabit shatters, they hide in other mirrors and continue pranking for a while, enjoying the victim's panic.

They only flee when bored, leaving the mirror victim suspicious of every reflective surface for a long time.

And this is merely the prank performed by the weakest Mirror Sprites.

When Mirror Sprites advance to the mid-tier, they upgrade their pranks.

They no longer settle for remaining within mirrors.

Mirror Sprites do what they love—role-playing.

They drag the mirror viewer into the mirror, while they themselves impersonate the person's appearance and live in the outside world.

This lasts from a few days to several months.

When bored, or when discovered (still deliberately leaving flaws), they release the original captive.

As Mirror Sprites grow stronger, their impersonation ability improves further.

High-tier Mirror Sprites can mimic the target's abilities, achieving sixty to seventy percent of their original level.

With this mimicry, they become even harder to detect.

If undiscovered, they can impersonate for years—even decades!

For the original person, being imprisoned and having their life stolen is undoubtedly an extremely tragic fate.

And for the original person's family and friends, it is equally terrifying!

When a lover or close friend is unknowingly replaced, it is a deeply frightening thing.

But fortunately, Mirror Sprites retain their nature—they still deliberately leave various flaws, hoping to be discovered.

Moreover, under normal circumstances, they do not kill the person they impersonate.

After all, to Mirror Sprites, this is merely an amusing prank.

Dead people? No need for that.

Mirror Sprites are certainly not kind, but they are not truly evil either.

Dangerous, yet not lethal.

Of course, these basic details do not allow Herbert to lower his guard.

Because the prisoner before him, Lukariya, is an Epic-level Mirror Sprite… something unheard of.

For this rare race, let alone an Epic, history records only three Legendary-level Mirror Sprites ever!

And each of them achieved astonishing feats.

One legendary Mirror Spirit replaced a legendary warrior, assumed his identity, successfully slew the dragon plaguing the kingdom, rescued the Princess, and, as agreed, became the next king.

Then… he rapidly sank into decadence amid luxury, becoming a notorious tyrant in the kingdom's history, causing its swift collapse and forcing nobles across the land to rise in rebellion.

Only when everything fell apart did the Mirror Spirit reluctantly end its prank, returning the poor warrior to his original form.

For that warrior, it was all like a dream.

Before falling asleep, he was a warrior with ability but no reputation.

Upon waking, everyone told him—he was now the dragon-slayer, the Princess's husband, the worst tyrant… and a condemned man about to die.

He had done nothing, yet bore every blame.

Fortunately, the legend of the Mirror Spirit was not unprecedented, yet even so, he paid a heavy price before finally clearing his name.

Another, however, was utterly unlike any other Mirror Spirit.

He did not choose to transform into a living being, but instead disguised himself as the sentient spirit of a legendary mage's tower.

No one knew how he bypassed the defenses to slip inside, nor how he convinced the tower spirit to cooperate—but that legendary Mirror Spirit simply replaced the spirit outright, taking full control of the tower's affairs.

He was discovered not by the legendary mage, but because after forty years of labor, he grew bored and left voluntarily.

Since his prank failed, the legendary Mirror Spirit, in revenge, deliberately freed the legendary Flame Demon imprisoned as an experimental subject in the tower's basement.

Though the mage tower was remote, the incident still caused major chaos, leading to the mage being hunted by the Witch Coven for fifty years.

Of the three legendary Mirror Spirits, the most absurd was the oldest.

The legendary Mirror Spirit born at the dawn of the Age of Faith replaced the entire population of a small town.

From noble lords down to tenant farmers, every single person was dragged into the Mirror World.

That legendary Mirror Spirit impersonated those thousands of residents for three full months, all while maintaining frequent communication and trade with the outside world!

When the Mirror Spirit departed, all the residents felt they had merely taken a nap, unaware that three months had passed in the outside world.

The oldest Mirror Spirit was also the most mysterious, leaving behind no name or title.

And now… before Herbert stood a legendary Mirror Spirit never before seen in history.

What extent would her abilities reach?

Yet, more than how dangerous Lucalilia might be, Herbert now cared about something else.

If Lucalilia could interfere with the first layer and replace Valentina, then the fallen angel meant to suppress her had failed.

Was Lucifer also in danger?

No—what of the other demon girls on each floor?

"…"

In an instant, Herbert's mind flashed through countless thoughts; only after confirming his access permissions to the Third Oath Hall remained intact did he exhale slightly.

Not bad—the situation wasn't that dire.

After quickly calming down, Herbert did not rush to escape via the portal; instead, he frowned, staring at his own reflection in a certain mirror.

"Spatial displacement? Is this how you trapped Valentina here?"

Herbert remained remarkably calm, gazing at his reflection, speaking coolly: "Let me guess—how did you do it? Through the mirror I gave her?"

"Huh?"

The figure in the mirror had been smiling warmly at Herbert, expecting to see him panic.

But Herbert gave her no chance for amusement—he calmed completely within a few breaths… never once cracked.

Tsk. So calm. How dull.

Yet Lucalilia had no time to feel disappointed before spotting a new amusement.

The warden, in this situation, still wanted to seize the initiative?

How presumptuous.

Looks like this is an interesting fellow!

The figure in the mirror winked at Herbert, grinning merrily: "So, you finally remembered everything?"

"Perfect. Then I won't need to introduce myself again."

"You promised you'd come chat with me, yet you've never shown up all this time."

Lucalilia complained with clear displeasure.

Herbert said nothing, his lips curling slightly as he replied coldly:

"Lucalilia, are all Mirror Spirits fond of such thoughtless, boring pranks?"

"I must say—you have absolutely no taste."

Herbert's tone was anything but courteous—it bordered on disdain.

Since the other clearly didn't take him seriously, he saw no need to be polite.

He knew too well what happened when he showed weakness to these arrogant demon girls.

Almost all beings have an innate tendency to admire strength and prefer interacting with the powerful.

But this has less to do with raw power than with attitude.

More often than not, how others treat you is determined by the attitude you display.

Humility is indeed a noble virtue—but it should not be shown to those who look down on you.

Constant submission only invites further encroachment, until they ride completely over you.

If the opponent is aggressive, respond with even greater aggression.

If the opponent is gentle, show appropriate softness.

Herbert lacked the raw power to match her, but his position was not inferior.

She was the prisoner. He was the warden.

To emphasize once more, in this cage, Herbert is the one in the superior position.

"No taste? Hahaha."

Liukaliya blinked after hearing Herbert's assessment, and instead of getting angry, she laughed.

"It's really been a long time since I've heard an evaluation like this~ Mm-hmm! You're right, we really are quite tasteless."

Wearing Herbert's face, she said with a smile: "Herbert, I know it—you're disguising yourself like this to try and provoke me~"

She had seen this kind of reaction too many times; it was nothing more than using such a method to mask one's own fear, trying to find her weakness.

I understand~

"But still, this isn't enough—it's far from enough!"

Liukaliya stared at him with a smile and encouraged him: "Try harder! Come on, try to provoke me!"

"Let's see what other vicious words you can come up with! Try to make me feel bad!"

As a result, Herbert looked at her as if she were a fool, frowning: "Liukaliya, what are you talking about?"

"Who do you think you are? Why would I deliberately disguise myself to provoke you?"

With an attitude of cold indifference and arrogance, he said disdainfully: "Prisoner, do not forget your place."

"You don't deserve to make me put on an act."

The Holy Knight's manner was cold, with not a trace of performance whatsoever—only the purest contempt.

Just you?

And I still need to deliberately put on an act?

Heh, you don't even deserve that.

"……"

Hearing this, Liukaliya narrowed her eyes and stared at Herbert, observing him carefully—she actually couldn't detect any trace of a lie.

She had seen far, far too many people.

For many people, she only needed to glance at them once to roughly guess their personalities.

But now, she actually couldn't quite see through the Holy Knight youth with the rare hair color standing before her.

This really is... exciting.

"Oh?"

Liukaliya did not get angry; instead, a long-lost interest welled up in her. She sized up Herbert and asked: "What you mean is, that evaluation just now was actually your true feeling?"

She stared fixedly at Herbert, trying to find his weakness.

But the Mirror Demon Young Lady still failed.

The youth before her was pure like a cold, sharp blade, his undisguised arrogance cleaving toward his enemy without a shred of mercy.

"Yes, you clearly could have used that ability to do far more interesting things, but you just had to choose the most boring way to use it... what a waste of talent."

Herbert gave a contemptuous snort and shook his head:

"This kind of trick that can be seen through at a glance and can't even make it onto the stage—don't bring it out to embarrass yourself; it only makes me want to laugh."

"Taking pride in such boring tricks is truly laughable."

Faced with genuine disdain, the Mirror Demon's smile gradually faded, and her brows knit slightly.

"……"

Instinctively, Liukaliya wanted to ignore it and continue asking questions.

But in the end, she found she simply couldn't.

If anyone else had said such a thing, she would only have thought the other party was boasting.

But as luck would have it, Herbert had actually done it.

He really had done exactly as he said—seen through her disguise with just a single glance.

Could it be that her disguise really did have some fatal flaw?

But that shouldn't be!

The Mirror Demon, who had seen countless people, had never been as curious as she was now.

She wanted to know his reason.

"……Heh."

After delivering his sharp critique, Herbert noticed the subtle shift in Liukaliya's emotions and laughed inwardly.

As expected, she took the bait.

After the brief exchange, Herbert, through an unexpected opening strike, had successfully seized control of the conversation.

Faced with such a powerful existence, relying on a tough attitude alone was not enough.

What was needed most was to stir their emotions, to make them take it seriously.

Any kind of interest would do—positive or negative.

Anger was fine, fondness was fine, even disgust would barely do.

As long as the other party's emotions could be changed, that was a success.

No strong person would pay attention to an ant beneath their feet—unless that ant was very special; an ant charging forward at astonishing speed while holding a dung ball also counts.

Since the Mirror Demon took pride in her pranks, Herbert would disparage her actions.

If she didn't rebut, he still had follow-up moves that would be even more grating.

If she rebutted, that meant she had taken the bait.

Now, Liukaliya had clearly taken the bait and had already begun to genuinely consider Herbert's thoughts.

But Herbert did not immediately reel in the line; instead, he suppressed the thought in his heart and, as if nothing had happened, continued: "Alright, let's stop talking about these boring things."

"I've answered your question; now it's your turn to tell me where Valentina is."

This is also part of the plan.

Feign indifference to capture.

The more he pretends to ignore it, the more curious the other will become.

Indeed, Lucalia was visibly displeased with Herbert's attitude, frowning: "Wait a moment—explain clearly first. Where exactly did I slip up?"

But Herbert paid no attention, continuing on his own: "She can open the correct door, but cannot summon a portal on her own..."

"Hey! I told you, wait!"

"Valentina hasn't broken through to Epic, so I doubt you can drag her into the Mirror World—she's most likely elsewhere on this level..."

"Herbert!"

After calling several times without response, Lucalia stopped.

She finally realized—he was deliberately provoking her, and she had indeed been stirred emotionally.

This time, she had been toyed with.

The Mirror Being's expression turned utterly cold; it nodded slightly: "Good."

"I have never been mocked like this before."

From countless mirrors in this place, all of Herbert's reflections spoke at once.

"You... are good."

Layered voices echoed through the space, drowning out Herbert's muttering.

"Hah."

At this point, Herbert stopped pretending—he grinned, shrugging: "Is that so? Then you've had too little experience."

"If you'd met me sooner, you'd have felt this long ago."

He no longer concealed his tone, sneering: "By the way, don't misunderstand—I didn't lie just to tease you."

"I am a Holy Knight. I never lie—I truly look down on your methods. They're far too backward."

Herbert kept talking.

Young Lady, don't overthink it.

I mean no harm—I simply genuinely despise your kind~

"... Good."

The Lucalia in the mirror slowly nodded, staring into Herbert's eyes, seeing the malice within.

After a moment, she suddenly smiled, licking her lips with amusement, whispering: "You've been wanting to know where Valentina is, haven't you? You care about her?"

Herbert narrowed his eyes, answering frankly: "Yes. Our relationship is excellent."

He made no effort to conceal his answer on this matter.

Because there was no need.

This would be exposed eventually; denying it now would gain him nothing.

If Valentina had overheard his "delaying tactic" denial, who knew how she'd react.

And if Lucalia intended to exploit his bond with Valentina, to make cruel jokes to disgust him... then their relationship would be over.

Herbert would never tolerate such mockery.

Respect is mutual; the degree of mockery must be balanced.

After receiving Herbert's firm answer, Lucalia nodded slightly, sizing him up, sneering: "Saying your relationship is good? Hmph."

The Epic Mirror Demon no longer glared in anger—instead, she reverted to her initial flippant demeanor, muttering:

"You saw through my 'boring' trick and recognized her—that doesn't prove your bond is strong. It only proves your observation is extraordinary."

Herbert:?

"What do you mean?"

He wasn't sure of her intent, asking hesitantly: "Are you... jealous?"

Jealous?

Lucalia rolled her eyes, snorting: "I mean—you said your relationship is good. You recognized her. But... can she?"

Can Valentina?

"Recognize what?"

Herbert froze at these words: "Wait—do you mean..."

Before he could press further, the Lucalia before him suddenly shattered.

Crack—crack—crack!!

The mirrors exploded violently!

Behind the shattered mirrors, a furious crimson dragon roared to the heavens.

Roar!!!

"Valentina!"

Seeing the Dragon Young Lady unharmed, Herbert finally exhaled in relief—then fell silent.

He suddenly realized something, and his blood turned icy.

Can she recognize him?

Oh shit—bad!

Wait—

Before Herbert could turn and flee, the dragon had already swung its head toward him.

Their eyes met—he saw no joy of reunion, only boundless rage.

Sure enough, the next second Herbert heard Valentina's furious roar.

"How dare you disguise yourself as him to deceive me!!?"

No!

"I'm really me!"

(End of Chapter)