The others ducked behind broken walls as the Arcane Constructs unleashed beams that ricocheted wildly across the mirrored cityscape.
Isaac finally figured it out after a few exchanges.
"They can’t repair what’s completely destroyed. If we kill the Constructs in one hit, the ghosts can’t fix them."
"Easier said than done," Warn muttered.
"Mhm."
Isaac stepped forward and let the lightning gather around his blade.
He swung once, and the nearest Arcane Construct split in half, each fragment disintegrating into dust before the ghosts could reach it.
Then he dashed forward, cutting down two more in quick succession.
Without the Constructs, the Spectral Engineers floated helplessly.
Isaac switched to close combat and swung his sword through one of the ghosts, this time using physical strength instead of mana.
The creature shrieked and dissolved instantly.
Spectral Engineers (Elite Rank) defeated.
Drop: 3 Silver Coins, EXP
"So they only resist long-range or mana-based damage. Physical attacks work fine," he said.
"Good to know," Beatrice said, as she moved to finish off the remaining ghosts.
Within minutes, the area fell silent.
The ground shimmered faintly, signaling the end of the encounter.
They gathered the drops quickly and moved deeper into the city.
The mirrored paths twisted in impossible directions, gravity shifting unpredictably as if the whole place were a reflection of itself turned inside out.
Several more fights followed against combinations of Arcane Constructs and Spectral Engineers.
Finally, after nearly an hour, they arrived at the city’s center.
A massive colosseum floated in place, surrounded by swirling light bridges that connected at odd angles.
"This must be where the boss is," Isaac said.
The others nodded silently.
They stepped onto the floating platform and entered through the wide archway.
The moment they did, the door behind them vanished, sealing them in.
At the heart of the arena floated a gigantic humanoid figure.
Its chest held a circular mirror that glowed faintly, while its arms were plated in Titan Metal.
Around its head revolved dozens of glowing shards of Aether Glass, forming a halo of light and reflection.
The mirrored walls of the colosseum repeated the image infinitely, until it felt like they were surrounded by thousands of the same monster.
The boss raised its head and roared, a deep metallic sound that echoed across every reflection.
Then, the mirrors rippled.
From each reflection, clones of Isaac’s team stepped forward.
They were perfect copies, down to their expressions.
Celia cursed. "Seriously?"
Isaac’s own clone summoned roots from the mirrored ground, wrapping around Isaac’s legs.
Celia’s clone used telekinesis to lift him slightly off the floor.
Priscilla, Isla, Beatrice, and Warn’s clones joined in, each using their respective abilities.
As if recognizing who was the real threat, every clone turned its attention on Isaac.
Then the boss raised one massive arm and fired several energy beams.
The beams didn’t fly straight, they bounced off the mirrored walls in random directions before converging on Isaac.
He dodged them with casual precision, twisting his body just enough to let the beams pass by.
’I could tank that, but my clothes won’t survive. No need to put on a free nude show,’ he thought wryly.
The boss continued to fire, each beam forcing Isaac to move between shifting reflections.
After every two attacks, it paused briefly, pulling mana inward. It was a clear recalibration window.
Isaac used that opportunity.
He held the clones down with roots, while he darted forward toward the main boss.
Even though all the reflections distorted the view, he used his Spatial Sense he gained from Celia to track the real one.
The fight dragged on for several minutes.
Every time the boss’s mirror glowed, Isaac dodged again, his sword cutting through waves of reflected light.
Then, with a loud crack, the mirror on the monster’s chest fractured, and a glowing core was revealed beneath.
The creature roared louder than before.
Its speed doubled, and a pulse of energy swept through the arena.
"Beatrice is hit!" Isla shouted.
He turned.
Beatrice was bleeding, clutching her shoulder.
Isaac frowned.
’Was that pulse of energy an attack? But I didn’t feel anything.’
"That last pulse reversed healing and buff effects! Don’t use any restorative skills!" Isla called again.
Isaac nodded once, understanding.
Then he sprinted toward the boss again.
The monster lunged, but Isaac sidestepped and leapt, slashing directly at the exposed core.
The first hit cracked it.
The second broke it completely.
The boss froze, the light in its mirror dimming before its body shattered like glass.
Arcane Overseer (Boss, Master Rank) defeated.
Drop: Titan Metal Shards x10, Arcane Bricks x50, Administrative Core x1, 1 Gold Coin, EXP
A shining door appeared in the arena as the reflections around them faded.
Isaac turned back and went to Beatrice.
He placed his hand above her wound, this time using a healing skill. "Are you good now?"
Beatrice nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Yes. Thank you."
"Don’t mention it. That pulse was unpredictable."
No one blamed him for her injury.
The fight had been smooth overall, and everyone knew how much easier it had been because of him.
They stepped through the shining door together.
A moment later, they were standing outside the dungeon entrance. A series of system messages appeared before Isaac’s eyes.
You have cleared a dungeon. Title: Explorer gained.
You have made a First Clear in this dungeon. Title: Explorer upgraded to Senior Explorer.
Dungeon: Crimson Reflection (Hell Mode) — Cleared.
First Clear Bonus: All rewards increased by 500%.
Total Reward:
Aether Glass x50
Binding Crystals x50
Titan Metal Shards x50
Arcane Bricks x250
Administrative Core x5
5 Gold Coins
1100 Silver Coins
...
Isaac stared at the screen for a moment.
Then he smiled faintly.
’Eleven hundred silver coins... that’s eleven gold. So in total, sixteen gold coins and all those materials. Not bad for one run.’
Celia stretched her arms. "So, what now? Another run?"
"Come to the side with me for a second. I want to try something," he said, planning to share the reward.
"Huh? You want to try it here? In the open?" she asked with mock embarrassment.
Isaac rolled his eyes.