I, The Villainess, Will Seduce All The Heroines Instead
Chapter 151: The Trial (10)

Chapter 151: The Trial (10)

[Novel is undergoing editing]

The corridor beyond Trial Three opened into a tranquil garden bathed in starlight, far too serene for what they’d just endured. The soft crunch of gravel beneath their boots felt like a lullaby after all the screaming ghosts of their insecurities.

"Is this... a break?" Verena asked cautiously, eyeing the peaceful cherry blossoms swaying overhead. "Or is the garden about to try and eat us?"

Isolde narrowed her eyes at a suspiciously perfect bench. "That bench is definitely cursed. Or it explodes."

Vivienne sighed dreamily. "It’s beautiful... Maybe this is a reward for passing the trial."

Verena pinched the bridge of her nose. "Girl, this is a smut novel. There’s no such thing as ’just a peaceful break.’ This is probably a bonding scene in disguise. Someone’s about to confess their tragic backstory or lean in for an almost-kiss."

A pause.

Isolde cleared her throat. "...You first?"

Verena shot her a look.

"I was joking," Isolde added. "Mostly."

Before either of them could say something they’d regret—or deny—they settled down on the bench anyway. Surprisingly, it didn’t explode. Yet.

The silence that followed was unusually comfortable. The stars shimmered above them, and for once, nothing tried to kill them.

Vivienne finally broke it. "You know... when I was younger, I used to pretend I lived in a garden like this. Away from everything. Where no one yelled or called me dumb or forgot I existed."

Verena blinked. "Damn. That’s... kinda sad."

Vivienne smiled, soft but sincere. "It was a nice dream, though. And I guess now, I’m in one. Just with more emotional trauma and terrifying trials."

Isolde leaned back on the bench, hands behind her head. "Well, you’re not dreaming now. You’re here. You made it. And you didn’t even cry once."

"Actually, I cried twice," Vivienne admitted sheepishly.

"Still counts," Verena said, nudging her with a knee. "You’ve survived me and Isolde bickering and a giant emotional therapy session. You’re tougher than you think."

Vivienne’s eyes lit up, genuinely touched. "Thanks... You two are kinda like scary older sisters. Or feral aunts."

Isolde snorted. "Feral aunt? I take offense to that. I’m at least an elegant war aunt."

"I’ll take scary sister," Verena shrugged. "But only if I get custody of your sword during weekends."

They all laughed—genuine, breathy, lighthearted. It was the first time in what felt like hours that the tension fully melted off their shoulders.

Just as Verena started thinking they might actually get a good night’s sleep, a faint chime echoed.

[System Notification: Trial Four – Initiated.]

The garden shimmered, and the stars above twisted unnaturally.

Their moment was over.

Verena groaned, dragging a hand down her face. "And there it is. Back to hell."

"Let’s hope this one doesn’t require group therapy again," Isolde muttered.

Vivienne stood up, determined. "No matter what it is, we’ll face it together."

Verena stared at her for a beat, then sighed. "Great. She’s getting character development. Now we’re all doomed."

And with that, they stepped forward, into the unknown. Again.

The starlit garden dissolved into mist the moment their feet crossed the threshold, leaving nothing but darkness and an unsettling silence. The kind of silence that made your ears strain for the nonexistent sound of breathing—only to realize you were holding your own breath.

Then came the light.

Soft at first, then blinding, it exploded in a kaleidoscope of shifting shapes and dizzying spirals, like stepping into a prism mid-collapse. The world reorganized itself, and when the spinning stopped, the three of them found themselves standing in a circular chamber. Twelve enormous mirrors surrounded them, each etched with a different zodiac symbol at the top. They glowed faintly, pulsing like heartbeats.

"Oh no," Verena muttered, dread crawling up her spine. "I hate mirror puzzles."

"I don’t think it’s a puzzle," Vivienne whispered. "I think... they’re watching us."

The mirrors flickered, and suddenly, they weren’t reflecting the trio anymore.

Each mirror now showed a twisted version of themselves—corrupted, distorted. Verena’s doppelganger grinned with bloodstained lips, armor cracked and eyes glowing with cruel power. Isolde’s version lounged with an arrogant smirk, surrounded by defeated opponents as if the trial were a stage for her glory. And Vivienne’s mirrored self was sobbing uncontrollably in a pool of water, her surroundings dim and colorless.

"Well," Isolde said, folding her arms, "this is subtle."

[System Notification: Trial Four – The Mirror of Truth.]

Objective: Confront your darker self. Only one truth remains.

"What does that even mean?" Verena scowled. "What truth?"

As if in answer, the distorted Verena in the mirror raised her blade and pointed it straight at her. "You’re not a hero. You’re just a glorified extra who got lucky."

"Alright!" Verena pointed back, annoyed. "That’s low. And I already know that!"

Isolde’s mirror-self leaned forward, her voice dripping with smugness. "You don’t fight to protect. You fight to be seen."

Vivienne flinched as her reflection whispered, "You’re not here because you were chosen. You’re here because no one else wanted you."

For a long moment, none of them said anything.

And then Verena groaned, rubbed her temples, and muttered, "Ugh, why is every trial in this place just emotional damage with extra steps?"

Vivienne sniffled beside her. "They’re not wrong... That’s what hurts."

Isolde surprised both of them by stepping forward, sword in hand. "Let’s prove them wrong. Or better yet—accept they’re a part of us... and beat the crap out of them anyway."

Verena gave a tired smile. "Now that’s the kind of therapy I can get behind."

One by one, the mirrors began to shimmer and hum, the floor lighting up beneath them. It was time to face themselves—not just the trials.

Because in the Labyrinth of Ascendance, surviving wasn’t about strength alone.

It was about truth.

Verena stepped forward, her boots clicking against the glowing floor as the distorted version of herself emerged from the mirror with a sickening shimmer. It was like watching someone peel out of her skin—familiar features twisted into something almost monstrous. Her doppelgänger’s eyes burned with exhaustion and bitterness, her blade dragging along the ground as if it weighed the weight of all her repressed emotions.

"Oh great," Verena muttered. "It’s the emo version of me."

"Don’t look away," the copy sneered, circling her. "You put on a show, act all snarky and composed, but we both know it’s an act. You hate being needed. You hate being relied on."

Verena narrowed her eyes. "I’m sorry—am I supposed to be offended or just bored?"

The copy grinned wickedly. "You’re not a leader. You’re a filler character who reads ahead in the plot and thinks that makes her important. You only help because you think it’ll get you back home. Not because you care."

Verena faltered, grip tightening on her weapon. That one hit a little too close.

Isolde, watching from behind, tensed. "Don’t let her monologue you into submission! Just hit her already!"

Verena smirked. "Good point." With a sudden dash, she lunged forward, clashing blades with her mirrored self. Steel sang against steel, sparks flying as the doppelgängers of Isolde and Vivienne stepped out of their own mirrors, the chamber now a cacophony of chaos.

Isolde was already halfway through skewering her alternate self. "Honestly, I’m insulted mine talks this much," she muttered as she parried and kicked. "I would never monologue mid-fight. I have standards."

Vivienne, on the other hand, was hesitant. Her double didn’t attack. It just sobbed—loud, pathetic, and heart-wrenching. "They never wanted you," it cried, voice cracking. "You’re only here because they had no one else. You ruin everything you touch."

Vivienne raised a trembling hand, her magic pooling at her fingertips. "You’re... not me," she whispered. "I’m scared. I mess up. But I try anyway." A wave of Dreamtide shimmered out like a soft ripple, enveloping her mirror-self in a warm, glowing mist. The figure dissolved like fog in sunlight.

Verena, noticing, glanced over mid-duel. "Did you just therapy your way through a boss fight?"

Vivienne wiped her eyes. "It worked, didn’t it?"

With a final slash, Verena knocked her mirror-self back into the glass, shattering the image in a burst of starlight. The chamber dimmed. One by one, the mirrors cracked and disintegrated until the room was still again.

[System Notification: Trial Four – Cleared.]

Affection increased. Bonus affinity sync achieved. Emotional resilience stat +1.

"Emotional resilience stat?" Verena muttered. "This place is mocking me."

Isolde dusted off her coat. "You did cry in your sleep earlier."

"Shut it."

Vivienne smiled shyly. "But... we did it."

As another archway opened at the edge of the chamber, glowing faintly with pale silver light, Verena exhaled slowly.

Four trials down.

And they were still standing. Sort of.

The three walked toward the glowing archway, battle-worn but slightly more united than before. Verena side-eyed Vivienne, who smiled like she’d just finished a group project solo. Isolde flipped her hair, already done with the sentiment. "Next trial better not involve crying," she muttered. Verena sighed. "With our luck? It’s probably a group therapy session disguised as combat."

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