Duplicating Mirror (Arcane) - This mirror can replicate any object up to its rarity, vanishing after a single use. Its power offers a unique opportunity for duplication, but with the caveat of its irreplaceable nature, making its selection a critical decision.

Okay, I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.

“Train for a bit,” I give another mana stone to Vega and turn to the mirror.

So, the next level of rarity after epic is arcane, and this mirror can duplicate any item up to arcane rarity. The unfortunate thing is that I don't think there is anything of that rarity I could get my hands on on this floor.

Maybe I should try moving it and take it to the next floor with me. I bet some opportunities would arise there. The mirror itself is a bit taller than me and as wide as my unfurled arms, so it wouldn't be such a big problem.

I touch it carefully and then try to move it. It won’t move. I use [Tether]. I use [Mana Domain]. I strengthen my body, I use mana arms. I try to push it with kinetic energy. Just like the door, the goddamn mirror won’t budge.

With a sigh, I sit in front of it and think while looking at my reflection.

Should I duplicate the Voidsteel slicer? It's well within the higher grades of epic rarity, and I bet most people in Hell difficulty would kill for it. Yet, I still can't help but feel something akin to regret, feeling it would be a waste.

I examine the mirror a bit longer.

These are some of the most delicate and tiny inscriptions I’ve seen up until now. It's hard to even perceive them, and I have no fucking idea how they work or what they do. The mirror itself could be made from glass or from a thin piece of heavily polished metal. Heck, for all I know, maybe it's just a reflective turd from a Calamity rank monster.

Also, the mirror quest says this.

Side quest: Locate the mirror

Reward: ???

It most likely means that whatever I copy will be my reward, that could be the reason for the question marks.

I wonder if I could duplicate Biscuit if he was here. Just the thought of two future Absolutes by my side fills me with bliss. Or maybe… I pause my thoughts here, the gears in my head spinning.

Maybe… would that work?

Probably? Logically it could work, the description doesn't exclude it.

Oh my.

I quickly check the timer until Vega returns to her world, and it says almost three days.

Too little time.

Slightly annoyed, I return to examining the item in front of me.

 

---

 

When the timer reaches 3 days, I get a new pop up from the system.

 

Congratulations, you have protected your disciple and raised their level. In three days, you will be offered a choice. You can proceed to the next floor or remain on the 5th floor for another three weeks as the danger gradually increases.

If you choose to stay, in 3 days, your disciple will return to their world for a week. Subsequently, they'll return to the 5th floor for the two additional weeks.

While the master-disciple relationship is crucial, it isn't enforced by the system.

Your choice will be respected, free from penalties should you decide to proceed to the next floor.

 

After reading the message, I open the Community to curse at my group members for not letting me know. Any message with even the tiniest hint of these choices gets censored.

That probably explains why they haven’t said anything, but it’s still annoying, and while Biscuit shouts something about the food, I proceede to bully the others.

 

---

 

The timer slowly ticks down, and when our time is almost up, I put a stop to our training and let her rest. She also seems to realize our time together is coming to a close, so it's hard for her to focus.

I’ve already prepared a small bag for her. We worked together to make it look old and dirty-looking, the same with her clothes. We hid a few mana stones, and she refused to give up any of the items I’ve given her, carefully storing them in a hidden compartment within the bag.

There is still a chance that someone might notice any decent items she’s carrying, and her low level might put a target on her back instead of helping her.

So, I won’t give her any powerful items. I also refrain from leaving any inscriptions on her skin with paint, nor do I give her any mana stones containing warrior enhancements. I decided at the beginning of the 5th floor, that I’d be careful not to help her too much, that I’d let her grow on her own. I have decided to trust in the training I’ve given her and to have faith in her own abilities.

One moment I think I'm doing the right thing, and another, I want to buy her an epic item or give her piles of valuables. It's annoying, it's difficult, and I'm not used to these feelings.

The fact that the system is even giving me two options is interesting in its own way. It makes a certain kind of sense. You can send your disciple away for a week, back to the moment before their death. The disciple will either die or survive based on their training. Then the disciple can use what they learned in their world and return a week later to give feedback and learn more.

Yes, the system said the relationship between master and disciple is important, and it was shown often by titles such as Champion's disciple or Absolute's disciple. But it's weirdly nice of the system to offer such an option.

It could just as easily end up being a disadvantage as anyone who chooses the first option will start on the 6th floor 3 weeks early. But it might equal the chance to spend 1 week on the 5th floor without disciple and examine it.

For me, it's perfect, more than perfect.

There is the mirror and my idea to use it. There is the Bastion, the Sanctuary, Veil Guardian, acidic danger noodle, and the sleeping giga-danger noodle.

I like that a lot and not just because I get to spend more time with this silly half-demon.

Damn it.

That's how they get you, they act all cute, innocent, and weak. They need protection, they imitate, and get close to you. Then before you know it, you are attached. Even disciples are dangerous here.

While looking at the way she nervously steps from foot to foot, I also think about how she compares to me from the 1st floor.

Her level is higher, her skill levels are higher, and she has a lot of knowledge I didn't, all specially prepared for her and her build.

She is strong, and I'm sure she could take on most of the members of group 4 from the 1st floor. Somehow, I still don’t think I would lose if we fought. Vega is wild, and she is the type that will scratch and bite when pushed into a corner. She is a fighter. But Nat from the 1st floor was even wilder. Someone who would sacrifice his limbs, and his body without hesitation just to get a nice hit in.

Now that I think about it, I did something similar to my leg not long ago, so maybe that’s not a good comparison. There is no way I'm as dumb as the me from a year ago, nope.

“Master,” Vega moves closer and then sticks her head out for me.

For a moment, I stand there confused, and then hesitantly, I grab her tiny black horn and shake her head.

She giggles, clearly enjoying it.

Then she opens her hand, and a nearly transparent mana orb floats out. I can sense the kinetic energy inside. The orb floats slowly and heads outside the room, where it receives a signal from Vega, and its surface shrinks, compressing the kinetic energy inside. Following that, the kinetic energy pushes against it, expands, and tears the orb apart in a small explosion.

Its damage is small, even smaller than if she had used her body. But it's a first step, and my disciple seems happy. Very happy.

"Good job," I say as I pull on her horn and gently shake her head.

I do realize how much our relationship has changed, and how our treatment of each other has evolved. Why is it so easy to let my guard down in front of someone Iike her?

I get down on my knees, carefully wrap my arms around her and pull her into a hug.

At first, she freezes, her small body barely moving, her heart beating like a scared little animal.

When I'm about to let her go, thinking I might have misunderstood, she puts her arms around me and hugs me back. She holds me with all the strength in her tiny arms, her head burrows into my neck and her pointy horns poke the bottom of my chin.

She refuses to let go for a long time, and when she does, she looks at the ground awkwardly.

“Remember what I taught you, okay? Stay safe, and I will see you in a week.”

Still refusing to meet my gaze, “Will do, master, so wait for me,”

“Sure.”

“Will you really be here when I return?”

“Yes.”

“You won't… leave me?”

“You should know me better after the last few weeks.” As the time moves closer, I notice her becoming more and more nervous, but she will be fine. She is strong.

Finally, the countdown ends, and Vega looks towards a spot in the air. From the way her eyes move, the object she is looking at is as big as a door. It reminds me too much of Myrra, unable to see the entrance to the 5th floor. In the same way I can't see the portal leading to her world. It’s surprisingly disturbing.

“Minion, my punishment has ended, so I don't have to call you by your name anymore,” I say as she takes a step.

She turns to me and after a moment of hesitation a smile appears on her face, “Master is dumb, same as me. I'll be back, and you'll call me Vega again!”

Without saying anything else, she passes through the invisible portal, and a new message pops up.

 

Congratulations on protecting your disciple. According to how your disciple does, you will receive ??? after leaving the Floor.

Would you like to continue to the 6th floor or stay on the 5th floor?

Warning! If you decide to stay on the 5th floor, you will have to wait a week until your disciple is summoned back. Then you will have to protect your disciple for another 2 weeks in harsher conditions! If your disciple dies you will fail your floor quest, and receive severe punishment.

Warning! If you decide to enter the 6th floor, your connection to your disciple will be severed. Your disciple can also choose to sever the connection between you. If the connection is cut, you will lose opportunities.

Choose wisely!

 

“Why are you giving us options out of nowhere,” I mumble and pick the 1st option. “The more floors we pass, the more informative and nice you are.”

The system doesn't answer, as always, and I just close the windows.

Overall, I like it. There is so much to do and so many quests to complete, and without Vega… I weaken the hold [Focus] has on some of my emotions, and my mood changes.

Now that she is gone, it feels like that bit of warmth, the flame I had to protect, is gone too, and I can go back to my usual self.

While looking in the mirror, I take out conductive paint and start drawing on my forehead, around my eyes, and on every free spot on my head. It takes a while, but I try to do it as precisely as possible. After that, I paint even more across the rest of my body. That takes even longer.

When everything is ready, a small orb of mana forms nearby, quickly compressed, focused to a much smaller size turning to black mana. The familiar pressure threatens to take over my mana, but I just pull it into my hand, absorbing it into my body through the inscriptions as they disappear.

I take a part of that mana and use it to strengthen my body. The black mana flows through my circuits, and my healing passive activates as well. I generate even more heat and send it towards my head. Then I take another portion of black mana and use it to [Focus], and at the same time, I activate my trait while looking at the mirror.

The colors disappear, and the world slows down to a crawl. My thoughts spin wildly. My immensely strengthened [Focus] works in tandem with Mana Wavelength Iris, sorting and processing collected information.

I’ve wondered what my specialty is for a while now. Is it my Primordial energies? My mana projectiles? Multiple kinds of bombs? Disrupting opponents' mana? The redistribution of absorbed energies? There are plenty of powerful options in front of me, and my build certainly fits the phrase jack of all trades, master of none.

But there is something I was thinking of.

The world I see through my enhanced eyes is beautiful, so full of information and options. Here it’s even possible to get a peek at the arcane grade item in front of me. I see the inscriptions, and with this comes the tiniest bit of understanding.

My eyes are powerful, it's a really strong trait, and in combination with [Focus] to process the information and with black mana to power it all, this may allow me to become a master of many skills instead of settling for a partial understanding of them.

I won't give up on any of my skills to specialize in one, no, I will keep them all, and all of them will become powerful enough to be considered specializations. I will drag my body, bleeding, and broken, until I reach that goal.

The black mana is finally spent, leaving me with the after-effects. My vision blurs, my head spins, and I'm barely capable of controlling my mana well enough to generate thermal energy.

Huddled up in the corner of the room, I clench my fists, waiting for the aftereffects to fade.

I have seen it, and it seems that my plan will be possible. I may have found a really fun use for this mirror.

Let's see what the system has to say.