Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan
"What terrifying power… is this the power of a god…"
Just one glance, and Su'en felt an indescribable shock coursing through his body, causing his mirrored self to shatter into pieces.
But before he could even reflect on it, while his body had not yet completely disintegrated, he saw "Theresa" react even faster. Without paying any attention to Su'en, her black wings, once a symbol of the angelic status of gods, flapped violently as she sped towards the center of the ruins.
She actually… fled!
This was a stark contrast to the domineering presence she had just a moment ago; now, she was escaping with absolute decisiveness!
A moment after the mirror shattered, Su'en, who was meditating in a distant tower, suddenly opened his eyes.
Looking around, Mr. Mirror had already vanished without a trace.
"It seems this fallen angel also knows Mr. Mirror…"
Su'en muttered to himself.
The situation just now made it clear that "Theresa" recognized the mirror ability and was scared off by it.
After all, an S-class talent is extremely rare, and one might not encounter a second one in their lifetime.
What's more unfortunate is that it happened right here in the Dawn Relics, a place that once nearly caused her, a dignified deity, to fall.
Without even thinking, one would definitely assume it was an "old acquaintance."
Su'en grew even more curious about what rank Mr. Mirror truly held, to scare off a god?
Although it was only a remnant soul, judging by the combat power she had just displayed, even a sixth-order professional might not have been able to scare her into such a desperate flight.
Or perhaps… it was the terrifying experience of being outwitted to death by Sir Isaac a thousand years ago?
***
Su'en didn't dwell on it, as he was more concerned about something else.
He looked up at the sky nearby, where the giant eye that the fallen angel had conjured was also beginning to dissipate due to her escape.
The feeling that had been making his eyelids twitch also suddenly vanished.
Su'en hadn't forgotten about the corpses strewn all over the ground.
Mr. Mirror must have gone after "Theresa." He couldn't get involved in a battle of that level.
Nor was there any need to.
Within the Mirror organization, Mr. Mirror wasn't the only one. Her lack of instructions meant she was confident in handling it.
But looting corpses was something Su'en was more than happy to do.
The Duke's men had been annihilated, and the battle just now likely took care of the nearby monsters, or at least scared them off.
The danger should be minimal now.
Without hesitation, Su'en unfolded his Octo-Spider Lance and quickly ran towards the site of the previous battle.
After all, soul fragments on corpses would dissipate over time.
Su'en was fast and arrived while the "grey mist" still looked clear.
Out of caution, he used his All-Seeing Eye to scan the area for any other dangers before approaching the corpses.
The first to harvest, naturally, were the memory fragments of the two fifth-order individuals.
The closest was the corpse of the red-bearded exorcist.
'Obtained 6 memory fragments of "Matick Doyle"'
'You have acquired a wealth of "Exorcism Knowledge," comprehending the skill [Thirteen Methods of Banishing Evil Spirits]'
'You have obtained an alchemy recipe [The Preparation Method of the Sun Exorcism Holy Water]'
'You have gained some knowledge of mysticism'
'You have acquired a wealth of "1st to 5th Order Alchemy Knowledge"'
'You have comprehended an incomplete fifth-order holy system principle'
'Spellcasting experience +175'
'Mental strength +8.4'
***
Typically, the knowledge reserves of magic-based professionals are many times greater than those of melee-based ones.
And the exorcist profession belongs to the "mystic" branch within the magic-based category.
These individuals delve deeply into obscure and esoteric knowledge.
Su'en eagerly harvested the grey mist.
Although it seemed slightly less than expected, the knowledge filled gaps in his understanding of mysticism and broadened his horizons…
Just right.
He vividly remembered the last time he absorbed a fifth-order professional, the state of confusion lasted for quite a while.
But now, as a flood of knowledge entered his mind, it was quickly assimilated, and everything was crystal clear!
It was like the difference between swallowing food whole and chewing it thoroughly; the nutrients absorbed by the body are completely different.
Su'en immediately noticed this difference.
With the same amount of memory fragments, the efficiency of assimilation was now at least 10 to 20 percent higher.
Even the most fragmented pieces remained in his memory and were not forgotten.
"The secret mental strength techniques and brain domain development can also improve the efficiency of harvesting, which is good news…"
A thought flashed through Su'en's mind, and he was delighted.
It was like getting a 10 to 20 percent experience bonus when killing monsters in a game.
The benefits might not be obvious in the short term, but it was a substantial improvement that could affect the late game.
Moreover, since all negative emotions were completely cleared, Su'en now had enough energy to suppress those foreign memories in the short term without worrying about impacting his core consciousness.
After the development of his brain domain, his memory and comprehension abilities also improved significantly, which visibly enhanced the ability of his talent [Death Harvester]!
***
Su'en didn't dwell on the content of the harvested memories.
The Octo-Spider Lance was also in operation, stripping the corpses of their storage rings and equipment almost simultaneously as he harvested the soul fragments, stuffing everything into his storage space.
He also casually collected the sealed item-level [Exorcist Cross of the Paladin] from the corpse's hand.
A quick glance revealed that it was powerful but a specialized piece of equipment for spirits, not of much use on a daily basis.
Then, he quickly moved to another fifth-order professional's corpse, the pale-faced man in military uniform who had been following Theresa around, a court guard wielding a rapier.
But this harvest surprised Su'en.
'Obtained 2 memory fragments of "Rasati Kale"'
'You have acquired a small number of alchemy knowledge fragments'
'You have gained a small amount of combat experience'
'Mental strength +0.3'
***
"Is this really a fifth-order?"
Su'en looked at the few fragments he had harvested, his gaze freezing as he wondered if he had mistaken the corpse.
The amount of fragments was even less than that of a second-order.
And the rate of incompleteness was outrageous.
But strangely enough… there were indeed some fragmented fourth and fifth-order knowledge.
This confirmed that it was indeed the corpse of a fifth-order professional!
Unable to understand what had happened, Su'en harvested a few more corpses nearby that he remembered were fourth-order professionals.
The result was the same.
But soon, he noticed a pattern.
The souls of melee-based professionals had almost completely dissipated, or only a tiny, extremely fragmented piece remained.
While the souls of magic-based professionals, who naturally had stronger mental strength, left a bit more, but not much.
"Did that fallen angel's divine art extract even their soul power?"
Su'en frowned, roughly understanding the reason.
It was also fortunate that he arrived quickly, or he wouldn't have even gotten a sip of the soup.
As for the relatively intact preservation of the red-bearded exorcist's soul, it was probably because mystic sorcerers all practiced some form of mental defense. Even in death, their souls were better preserved than others.
However, Su'en's attitude was good; he was satisfied with what he earned.
The total amount of soul fragments harvested was almost 70 to 80 percent of the last fifth-order, and it was precious mystic knowledge, invaluable.
Of course, the spoils of war were not limited to soul fragments.
The equipment and storage rings on the corpses were also a big haul.
These were the personal guards of Duke Raphael!
It was also fortunate that the divine art of the fallen angel helped greatly, otherwise these few hundred elites could have directly breached the defenses of Old London.
There would have been no chance for Su'en to loot the corpses.
***
A hundred years of "mining," those treasures gathered from the lower levels, like a pyramid, eventually almost all converged in the Duke's mansion.
The equipment on these ducal guards' corpses were all carefully selected fine items.
Weapons, armor, robes, leather armor, boots, alchemical accessories…
The vast majority were "silver quality" or above, high-quality equipment.
Even the team leaders had "gold equipment" and a few pieces of "dark gold equipment."
Each one was a top-notch rarity seldom seen in the auction houses of Old London.
Su'en collected them all; these were not just his spoils of war.
If anything, the lion's share belonged to Mr. Mirror.
Without her plan, the Duke's forces would not have been annihilated here.
Besides these pieces of equipment, Su'en also found a number of heat-emitting gems in the storage rings of the two fifth-order and those fourth-order individuals, resembling burning coals.
Upon identification:
【Sun God Stone】
Description: A special gemstone containing rich light energy;
Su'en now knew that this was one of the essential materials for alchemists to advance to the fourth order.
These personal guards of the Duke's mansion were mostly "Light Sorcerers" from outside, unable to withstand the dense dark spirit power of the underground, so they needed to carry these stones to prevent the dark energy from corrupting and mutating them.
On normal days, the people of the Duke's mansion hardly ever left the inner city of Old London. To obtain so many 【Sun God Stones】 at once was a rare "harvest."
This was an opportunity not to be missed.
The quantity was not small, definitely more than the last time they ambushed a fifth-order.
Su'en was only second-order, far from advancing to the third order, so he had no immediate use for these stones.
But other members of the Mirror organization might need them, like Qiantiao.
Moreover, based on the snippets of information from Mr. Mirror's head, it seemed they already had a plan to break out of the Black Tower.
With these stones, the success rate was likely to be even higher.
If they really got out, these stones, which could only be considered high-level materials outside, would no longer be scarce.
***
Seeing these stones, Su'en was also looking forward to it; if Qiantiao and the others all advanced to the fourth order, how strong would they be?
But he was also a bit puzzled; where were the other members of the Mirror organization?
Could it be that they went to surround "Theresa"?
Just as these thoughts emerged, suddenly, anomalies arose all around!
Dense dark spirit power formed a mist within the ruins, and at that moment, as if stirred by an invisible force, it converged in one direction, forming two tornado-like spirals in the sky above the center of the ruins, like "dragons sucking water."
The mist was sucked away and dissipated, clearing the view instantly.
Seeing this phenomenon, Su'en immediately realized what it was, his pupils shrinking: "An 'Elemental Domain' possibly controlled by a sixth-order or higher professional?"
From the memories he had harvested, he knew that such natural phenomena were a type of spell.
There are two major thresholds in a professional's advancement: one is from third to fourth order, requiring mastery of "Elemental Barrier"; the other is from sixth to seventh order, the "Elemental Domain."
Legend has it that those who master the Elemental Domain can absorb the elements within several miles for their own use.
This is a method at the level of laws that only top alchemists can master.
But…
Such beings, even on the surface, are among the very few at the pinnacle of the pyramid.
Why would they appear here?
Su'en thought he might be mistaken, but as his gaze shifted, he saw at the core of the gathering mist, two figures in the sky facing off against each other!
Both figures had wings!
Su'en looked over.
One was "Theresa," whom he had seen before, with a pair of pitch-black wings.
The other, cloaked in a golden silk cape, had a pair of huge bat-like wings behind her!
"A vampire?"
Seeing those flesh wings, Su'en immediately thought of a legendary abyssal undead creature.
That was the long-lived vampire, capable of surviving countless ages through slumber.
A glance at the cape, and who else could it be but Mr. Mirror?
In that moment,
It was as if everything became clear.
No wonder Mr. Mirror could live for a thousand years; she was of vampire lineage!
However, Su'en had already guessed that Mr. Mirror was not a "normal human," and seeing her bat wings didn't surprise him too much.
After all, Su'en himself had a special body with a portion of fallen angel bloodline after being modified by the "X Serum."
What shocked him more was Mr. Mirror's strength!
That "Theresa" could use the Elemental Domain, which didn't surprise Su'en too much. After all, she was a genuine god-tier soul, and although her physical body was lacking, it wasn't strange that she could perform the spell with a lower configuration.
Just like the fifth-order [Diamond], Su'en could also use it at the second order.
But Mr. Mirror, how could she?
Amidst his shock, Su'en's mind was immediately filled with doubts and contradictions: "Mr. Mirror shouldn't be seventh-order, but why does she have a seventh-order 'Elemental Domain'? Could it be her mirror imitation ability? No, that can't be right; she shouldn't be able to imitate abilities she doesn't understand…"
Now that Su'en had stripped the memories of those from the surface, he wasn't completely ignorant of the outside world.
He vaguely knew that the Black Tower was on an island called "Black Reef."
There, a secret guard of Duke Raphael was stationed, roughly one to two thousand strong, with the strongest being a sixth-order grand commander. Although the overall military strength was formidable, if Mr. Mirror truly had the strength above sixth order, she shouldn't be stuck here, slowly developing.
***
Mr. Mirror was a mystery to everyone.
She had never shown her face.
Even within the Umbrella organization, information about Mr. Mirror was limited to just this "code name."
To be precise, no one had ever seen her take action, knew her true strength, or what kind of methods she had.
Because even when she did take action, due to her mirror ability, she used others' abilities. Bystanders didn't even know she was "Mr. Mirror."
She could have countless disguised identities.
What she truly looked like was pointless to pursue.
Su'en had also been curious about what order Mr. Mirror was as a professional?
Although there were no conditions to advance to the fourth order in this underground world, Mr. Mirror was different.
Now seeing her in this vampire state, Su'en was even more convinced of his guess: Mr. Mirror was truly an ancient relic from a thousand years ago!
Su'en had previously speculated that since Mr. Mirror and her group dared to attack a fifth-order professional, her own strength must be beyond fifth order, perhaps even higher.
But without breaking through the Black Tower, her rank wouldn't be excessively high.
Now suddenly becoming seventh-order,
Su'en felt very conflicted.
Huh?
Suddenly!
At this moment, a flash of insight crossed Su'en's mind.
Since it was almost certain that Mr. Mirror was an "ancient," could she be a close associate of Sir Isaac?
With this thought, Su'en's mind suddenly connected some clues that fit together.
He vaguely guessed Mr. Mirror's identity from a thousand years ago!
If it was indeed her, it would be understandable for her to have strength above the sixth order.
But reality and strength seemed to conflict.
With true seventh-order strength, under absolute suppression, wouldn't this "Theresa" be annihilated?
Or perhaps, there were other reasons limiting her strength?
***
Without waiting for Su'en to think further, the two in the sky began to battle fiercely.
The two winged figures wielded identical crimson lightning, and where they clashed, the wind and clouds surged, thunder roared, and lightning flashed in the sky. Streaks of red lightning tore through the heavens, illuminating half of the ruins like an apocalyptic scene.
No matter what technique "Theresa" used, Mr. Mirror completely replicated it with her mirror imitation ability, giving her no chance to counter with elemental theft.
You can throw lightning, so can I…
You stab me with lightning, I'll stab you with one too…
You can fly, so can I…
The two entangled, giving her no chance to escape.
Su'en watched for a while and confirmed his guess.
His realm was far from theirs, but his vision was not lacking; he could tell that neither was holding back: "Indeed… Mr. Mirror only shows the strength of around fifth order, but why does she have a seventh-order Elemental Domain?"
The commotion was exaggerated, but still not to the level of the legendary seventh-order's earth-shattering power.
"Theresa's" physical body was only second-order, and being able to exert about fourth-order combat power was already the limit of what her body could handle.
And Mr. Mirror, being able to fight her on equal footing, naturally wouldn't exceed that by much.
But oddly enough, both used laws and understandings far beyond their ranks.
Fifth order, sixth order, seventh order…
Even higher!
Then, the battle took a direction that Su'en couldn't comprehend.
Laws clashing, domains colliding…
The two, gathering a vast amount of dark spirit power from all directions, had auras as high as primordial beasts, a level of battle that professionals below fifth order couldn't possibly join.
And that overwhelming pressure, even with the All-Seeing Eye, made Su'en's eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
The crimson light in the sky made his scalp tingle.
Just as he was enjoying the spectacle, a stray lightning bolt that splashed out during their clash suddenly exploded from the sky, "boom," and struck the ground just tens of meters away from Su'en, carving out a crack hundreds of meters long…
Two women casually wielding lightning with their bare hands…
Hiss~
Su'en inhaled sharply, gathered his spoils, and quickly ran a few kilometers towards the outskirts of the ruins, choosing a safer place to watch the battle.
Such a high-level battle was rare to see; understanding even a fraction of it was a gain.