Chapter 311: Chapter 311; Gaming 4
Objective: Climb the spire and destroy the Mirror Warden, who twists illusions into physical enemies. At the top, the team will glimpse the true Final Boss waiting far above.
Twist: Each hero will fight not just monsters, but a twisted mirror version of themselves.
Scene: Entering the Spire
[The players’ screens light up, the spire looms, tall and endless.]
Tang Fei (determined):
"Alright... halfway point. If we beat this, we’re closer to the core of the Sky Realm."
Zhihao (grinning, cracking his knuckles):
"Halfway, huh? Sounds like they’re about to throw nightmares at us. Good... I like breaking nightmares."
Twilight (calm, eyes narrowing):
"Don’t underestimate it. The Spire is alive. It will test us with what we fear most."
Qin Xinyu (smirking):
"Fear? Please. My only fear is losing my beautiful face...."
[They step inside. The doors seal with a metallic clang. The reflective walls shimmer, and suddenly, the reflections move on their own.]
The Mirror Fight
Tang Fei:
"...Wait. That’s... me?"
[Her reflection steps forward, holding twin flaming swords. The others’ reflections emerge too, darker, twisted versions, eyes glowing red.]
Mirror Tang Fei: Merciless, driven by rage.
Mirror Zhihao: Brutal berserker, reckless.
Mirror Twilight: Silent shadow, manipulative.
Mirror Qin Xinyu: Vain, cruel trickster.
Zhihao (laughing):
"Oh, this is good. They made an evil me? Let’s see who punches harder!"
[Zhihao clashes with his mirror self, fists against fists. Shockwaves ripple through the spire.]
Twilight (to Tang Fei):
"Don’t let it get in your head. These are not you, they’re only what the Spire wants you to believe."
Tang Fei (fierce, locking blades with her mirror):
"Then I’ll prove it wrong!"
[She spins, parrying her reflection’s twin strikes, kicking it back.]
Qin Xinyu (dueling his mirror, both moving with the same mocking grin):
"Ugh, I hate this. He even copies my sarcasm. One of us is going down... guess which one."
[He flicks his wrist, summoning glowing cards that slice through the air. His reflection counters with identical cards. They explode midair like fireworks.]
Mid-Battle Team-Up
Twilight (grappling his shadowy double):
"They fight like us. We need to break the pattern. If we keep matching them strike for strike, we’ll never win."
Tang Fei (panting):
"Then... we switch opponents!"
[She dives across, striking at Mirror Twilight, while Zhihao smashes into Mirror Qin Xinyu. The chaos breaks the rhythm.]
Zhihao (grinning):
"Ha! This one’s weak when it doesn’t have my muscles. Sorry, fake me, only one Zhihao in the sky!"
[He grabs the Mirror Qin Xinyu and slams it into the floor, shattering it into glass shards.]
Qin Xinyu (relieved, wiping sweat):
"Finally. One less pretty face to compete with."
Boss Appearance – Mirror Warden
[The remaining shards swirl together, fusing into a towering figure: the Mirror Warden. Its body is jagged glass, face shifting between theirs.]
Mirror Warden (echoing voice):
"You cannot defeat what you are. Every flaw, every weakness, I am them all."
Tang Fei (raising her blade):
"Then you’ll shatter under our strength, together."
Climactic Fight
[The Warden slashes beams of light, walls of mirrors rise, trapping them.]
Zhihao (smashing through one wall):
"No cage can hold me!"
Qin Xinyu (throwing a glowing card into the Warden’s chest):
"Break him open, now!"
Twilight (appearing behind the Warden, daggers flashing):
"For once, I agree."
Tang Fei (leaping high, sword glowing):
"Final strike, together!"
[They all attack at once. The Warden cracks, shatters, and explodes into fragments that rain down like falling stars.]
Aftermath – Foreshadowing Final Villain
[The tower trembles. The mirrors fuse into a single image, the silhouette of a colossal figure above the clouds, wings made of stormfire.]
Twilight (eyes narrowing):
"...So that’s him. The true master of the Sky Realm."
Zhihao (whistles low):
"Big, winged, and probably ugly. Can’t wait to punch his face."
Tang Fei (quiet but determined):
"We’re halfway there. Whatever comes next... We’ll climb together."
Qin Xinyu (smirking, but softer than usual):
"Fine. But if my reflection shows up again, someone else is killing it this time."
[They laugh faintly, but the screen fades to black with thunder rumbling, signaling the higher, deadlier levels ahead.]
The four of them sat in the glow of the theater screens, their avatars still frozen mid-battle in the halfway stage of the Sane Sky Realm. The last echo of a defeated foe faded, replaced only by their mixed laughter and tired sighs.
Tang Fei leaned back into the soft seat, stretching her arms above her head. "Two hours... no wonder my fingers feel like they’re made of stone and numb!"
Zhihao yawned, rubbing at his eyes but still grinning. "Worth it, though. Admit it, we’re unstoppable together."
Qin Xinyu chuckled, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. "Until you almost fell off that storm bridge earlier. I had to save you."
Twilight tilted his head with mock seriousness. "Correction: you saved him twice. He owes you."
Zhihao groaned dramatically, "Fine, fine... I owe my life. Again."
Their laughter echoed softly in the private theater, but the weight of the late hour was settling over them. One by one, the yawns grew contagious. Tang Fei blinked at the clock glowing faintly in the corner, it was well past two in the morning.
She stood first, smoothing her clothes. "Alright, commanders, heroes, and sky hunters. Time to retreat. If we keep going, none of us will survive tomorrow."
The others groaned in half-hearted protest but started powering down the consoles anyway. The screens dimmed to black, and the once-vivid fantasy realm melted back into silence.
They gathered near the door, the soft carpet muffling their tired footsteps.
"Good night," Tang Fei said warmly, touching Zhihao’s arm, then glancing at Twilight and Qin Xinyu. "Rest well. We’ll need our strength for... whatever comes tomorrow."
"Good night," Qin Xinyu responded with a gentle smile.
Twilight gave a small salute. "Till the next battle."
Zhihao lingered a moment, his smile faint but real. "Sweet dreams, everyone."
The hallway lights were dim, wrapping the four of them in quiet comfort as they parted ways, each heading toward their rooms. The mansion settled into silence again, leaving only the distant whisper of the night wind against the windows.