The mirrored humanoid constructs were closing in fast now.
Their bodies clinked with each step, like glass grinding against glass.
Isaac used his Sovereign of Land skill.
The ground ruptured in response to his will.
Thick, blackened roots burst through the mirrored floor, twisting like serpents.
They wrapped around the legs and arms of the constructs, binding them in place.
One by one, the glass creatures were trapped, except for a single one that Isaac let sprint toward them.
"Please adjust your stats to the level of a Champion-rank Awakener. Don’t use any high-level skills for now. Stick to simple techniques," Isla called from the back.
Isaac glanced at her over his shoulder. "Champion rank? But they can’t enter this dungeon, right? Wouldn’t it make more sense to use Elite or Master rank stats? The usual team would be around that level: seven Elites and five Masters."
He already suspected why she’d asked that.
He only asked the question to confirm they were on the same page.
"It’s fine," Isla replied. "You’re alone, Lord. The others who’ll enter later will fight as teams. Matching your strength to a single Champion rank will make the comparison data cleaner."
Isaac nodded. "Alright."
He adjusted his stats down to the average of a low rank Champion-rank awakener, around sixty-eight across all attributes.
His strength was reduced, and the air around him grew calmer.
The last Glass Phantom charged straight at him.
Isaac drew his sword and met it head-on.
The creature’s movements were surprisingly fluid, and when its blade swung, Isaac recognized the pattern.
"Illusive Sword Technique," he murmured, parrying just in time.
The mirrored creature had copied his own sword form perfectly, down to the faint shift in stance.
He fought steadily, matching its rhythm while observing every detail.
His sword scraped against the creature’s glassy edge, sparks of mana flashing with each clash.
He could’ve ended it in one move, but he held back, gathering as much data as he could.
Warn crossed his arms, watching carefully.
"Looks like it can only copy techniques, not skills," he said.
"That means we can overwhelm them with mana-based abilities," Beatrice added.
Isla shook her head. "Not yet. Using skills now and wasting mana on the first few enemies isn’t efficient. We should..."
She looked at Isaac, then raised her voice slightly.
"Can you fight with another weapon, Lord Isaac? Or should we send someone else to take over?"
"I can use other weapons," Isaac replied without hesitation.
He stored his sword in his spatial ring and pulled out a plain spear.
Since he’d already given Frostviel Sword and Infernal Fang Spear to Emily and Alice, this one was just a simple steel weapon.
He adjusted his stance, rolling the spear once in his hand.
"Let’s see how it reacts."
The Glass Phantom still used the sword along with Illusive Sword Technique.
"Sure enough. It copies whatever technique the target uses first, and sticks to it.
"That means we can make the future Awakeners hold weapons they’re unfamiliar with first. When the monsters copy it, they’ll have poor control.
"Then the team can switch to their main weapons and counterattack quickly," Isla said, typing rapidly on her device.
Isaac smiled faintly. "That’s good observation. We’ll try it on the next one."
He spun the spear once and thrust it forward.
The mirrored creature tried to block, but the force behind Isaac’s strike shattered its guard and pierced straight through its chest.
The creature froze.
Then it fractured into a thousand glittering shards before vanishing completely.
Glass Phantom (Elite Rank) defeated.
Drop: 1 Silver Coin. EXP gained.
A small silver coin rolled across the mirrored floor.
Warn stepped forward and picked it up. "We’ll handle collecting the drops, Lord. You focus on fighting."
Isaac nodded, then looked at the remaining constructs still trapped by his roots. "Fine by me."
He pulled out a dagger this time and released one of the bound Glass Phantoms.
The creature charged instantly, forming a dagger in its own hand.
It mimicked his movement almost exactly. Same grip, same posture.
Isaac let it come close.
When it went for a stab, he feinted and switched to his sword mid-swing.
The sudden change caught the creature off guard.
His blade cut cleanly through its neck, shattering it into reflective dust.
"Observation confirmed," Isla said, noting everything down. "The monsters copy your technique when you engage, but once they’ve committed to it, they can’t adjust mid-fight. Their reaction time is limited to their initial read."
Beatrice tilted her head. "So they’re not adapting, just mimicking."
"Exactly," Isla said.
Isaac waved his hand, and the remaining trapped Glass Phantoms were crushed under the pressure of his roots.
Cracks spread through their bodies before they collapsed into fine shards.
"The name of these monsters," Isla asked after a moment, "you must’ve identified it through the system. What are they called? I’ll update the data log."
"Glass Phantoms," Isaac said.
"Understood." Isla entered it into her device.
The group started moving again.
The mirrored corridor stretched endlessly, red light leaking through the cracks in the walls.
Every few minutes, another group of Glass Phantoms emerged, but now that they understood the pattern, they were no threat.
Isaac dispatched them quickly, switching weapons every few fights to test variations.
Each one dropped a single silver coin, just like before.
Warn watched the coins pile up in his pouch.
"I’ve never seen a dungeon run this easy," he muttered.
"It feels like we’re taking a stroll," Beatrice added, though she didn’t lower her shield.
Celia, walking beside Isaac, was quietly observing. "They don’t even seem to have emotions. It’s strange fighting something that doesn’t hesitate or flinch."
"That’s because they’re not alive," Isla said softly. "They’re just mirror constructs, or should I say reflections of the dungeon’s will. They have no mind, and thus no fear."
"That’s what makes them unsettling,’ Isla muttered from the side.
Isaac didn’t comment.
He could feel the dungeon subtly shifting as they advanced.
The walls seemed to ripple faintly, as if reacting to their progress.
The mana density was increasing bit by bit, which meant the real challenge wasn’t far off.
After another short walk, the corridor split into three.
Each path led deeper into different directions, all lined with the same distorted reflections.
Warn stopped, scanning the area. "Which path should we take?"
Isaac didn’t say anything immediately. He was watching them closely.
He wanted to see how each of them thought under pressure, who relied on instinct, who on logic, who waited before acting.
These were the same people who would later lead other Awakeners through similar dungeons.
He needed to know who could be trusted.
Celia looked at him. "You already know which way to go, don’t you?"
"I have an idea, but I could be wrong." Issac shrugged.