Xyrin Empire
Chapter 397 - Chapter 397 Chapter 397 Secret News

Chapter 397: Chapter 397: Secret News Chapter 397: Chapter 397: Secret News A severely injured Ai Hua twisted violently in the air nearby, like a signal image about to disappear, with various indiscernible hissing sounds and vague whispers permeating around us. Those were the echoes of her ancestral souls fading away in her memory.

“You did well.”

Sandora waved her hand and dispelled the Abyss Energy from her body. Her turbid eyes regained their clear sea-blue luster, and then she quietly watched Ai Hua, who was still struggling to stand, and calmly said.

“To have fought for so long against two Xyrin Emperors and a middle squad of Heroic Combat Soldiers all by yourself, I acknowledge your strength.”

“Impossible… It can’t be…”

Ai Hua seemed to have lost her sanity, mumbling incoherently, “How can it fail… a Soul World built upon countless years of power, perfected through the memories passed down from dozens of generations of civilizations… Why… have the ancestors given up on revenge?”

Looking at Ai Hua like this, I could only shake my head slowly.

Indeed, it was an invincible force, an everlasting Soul World with no structural flaws and no possibility of escape, guarded by an undying Iverson Knights. It was evident that Ai Hua knew Sandora’s “Mind Control” all too well. Apart from herself, there was nothing with a mind in this world. If Sandora herself had been trapped in such a situation, even if she led an Imperial Fleet in, they would probably only slowly be worn down to death. It just so happened that Ai Hua was incredibly unlucky.

No matter how many years of power had been accumulated, as long as its essence was an energy world, it would be utterly restrained by my abilities–this is the tragedy of the Deep Ice Mage Group when facing Water Elements!

Wasn’t something very strange just mixed in?

“That, uh… Ai Hua, is it?” Hesitantly, I still addressed the “woman” before me, “Even though I’m not very well-informed about the situation back then, I still need to say that, at that time, Sandora truly had no other choice… before launching an attack on you. Since you have the memory of your entire Race, you must also know what the Iverson went through before…”

As I went on, I became more entangled. No matter how much I sugarcoated it, this… this was a racial extermination! Forget it, I better keep quiet.

But as I fell silent, Ai Hua raised her head, “Excuses? Burning all civilians in the infected area because of the plague… Is this the method of you Aliens!? This Demon… she destroyed my homeland!!”

With a hysterical scream, the Ai Hua before us suddenly distorted violently, the originally clear, white glow on her body swiftly mixed with vast expanses of black and red. The process was so fast that in just a few seconds, the originally humanoid Ai Hua had twisted into…

A mirror?

Alright, I know this sounds absolutely incredible, but now Ai Hua really seemed to have turned into a giant mirror–an oval classic Western mirror at least ten meters high and five meters wide, its surface shimmering with a mysterious bright silver luster. However, at its edges, a black frame carved with distorted human faces clashed disharmoniously, with dark red bloodstream-like substances slowly seeping out from the inside edges and expanding quietly towards the center of the mirror as if it were red ink dropped into water. Such a strange mirror thus quietly hovered less than two meters off the ground against the backdrop of flowing magma and a burnt-red sky, looking like a monument of Doomsday–it’s odd, the associations that come to my mind.

And as Ai Hua completed her Second Transformation, the previously gradually dissolving Soul World stabilized once again, and the shadow of the real world completely disappeared from our view.

“I hate these bosses that undergo a Second Transformation and resurrect with full health just when you think you’ve finally beaten them,” I clenched my fist as any scant sympathy I had for Ai Hua dissipated, “Do you think a Chun Ge image will appear on that mirror?”

No sooner had I spoken, Sandora twisted the flesh on my waist from behind: “Ah Jun, can’t you be serious at a crucial moment like this!?”

Where did that majestic and ruthless Imperial Empress go? Sandora, do you think you’re much stronger than me now?

Just then, a long sigh echoed from the mirror ahead of us, sounding like it came from the Chaos of Iverson, “…Alien… don’t think this is over… The ancestors of Iverson will never forget this grudge! For our homeland… you must stay in this world forever!”

“Baby, what is this?” I curiously looked at the mirror and turned to ask Sandora. Because I wasn’t sure if this thing reflected any damage or had some other heaven-defying attribute (I had that impression from the moment I saw it), I didn’t rashly attack it. Vega and her Scorpion Soldiers were on guard, too: these “little guys” who had just come off the production line had never encountered such a bizarre enemy.

Sandora explained with a serious expression: “This is a special ability of the Iverson race. They gather a large amount of soul energy to form a Memory Mirror, capable of cloning anything they want to clone and have seen–not just some hollow copy, but a complete replica, except for the soul of the original.”

My expression immediately grew solemn: “Unconditional cloning? No matter how strong the opponent is?”

“Of course, there is a limit, but due to Iverson’s special talent that allows the soul to erode reality, this limit is almost nonexistent. In the past, many battle-hardened veterans, even in a position of absolute advantage, died at the hands of their ‘own’ selves when facing the Memory Mirror… So, it’s chosen me after all…”

As Sandora finished speaking, ripples indeed began to spread across the surface of the Memory Mirror transformed from Iverson. Then, a figure slowly emerged from it.

Even though I had guessed what might happen after hearing what Sandora said, when I saw that figure, I couldn’t help but mutter “Damn.”

A familiar face of noble beauty, hair golden as the dawn’s light, her figure gentle as smoke in the soft halo of light. Though she wore an unfamiliar silver-gray war robe, and her sea-blue eyes held only a piercing coldness rather than that familiar warmth and joy, the person before me was undoubtedly Sandora.

To be exact, it was the Iron-blooded Tyrant, Sandora Kaelvi Yurasis, who once led the Imperial Army to destroy the entire Iverson civilization.

An inexplicable pressure exuded from that “Sandora,” the kind of chilly aura only someone who had personally slaughtered billions could have. It wasn’t murderous intent but rather indifference: an indifference toward life, toward everything. Before her, even if you were a king or a general, an idol or a hero, you were but an annoying speck of dust. I had never seen Sandora like this before–was she really like that in the past?

Meanwhile, a similar presence began to rise beside me. I turned in surprise to find Sandora’s icy and indifferent gaze in a standoff with her counterpart across from her.

The ruthless and bloodthirsty “Battle Song Princess” had never disappeared; she was just stealthily hiding outside the sight of her lover.

“Sandora,” I murmured, “are you sure you’re okay?”

The girl beside me turned her head, her eyes now filled with the familiar warmth and joy: “I have to go because I know Ah Jun absolutely can’t do it. Leave it all to me because… this is my battle alone now.”

I was at a loss for words.

It was just as Sandora had said, this battle only had her as the sole contender.

Even though I knew that clone was just an empty shell, I couldn’t possibly go all out against it. Rationality alone couldn’t determine such things; at the very least, I couldn’t do it.

“The soul of Iverson is in that mirror. Unless we destroy it and the clone it created, we can never escape the trap that took her millions of years to set. But the mirror itself cannot be destroyed; it’s merely an image. The only way to destroy it is to eliminate the clone,” said Sandora, her lips curling into a confident smile. Then she suddenly turned, giving me a gentle embrace, “Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.”

After those words, the golden-haired girl, with a resolute look, darted from my side like lightning, and in the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the vast and eerie mirror.

The other “Sandora” in the air watched everything emotionlessly, like a robot that only knew how to follow orders, not turning around until her opponent had entered the dueling ground, slowly following into the silvery mirror.

Ripples spread across the mirror’s surface and then gradually settled down, eventually, just like a real mirror, it began to reflect distant scenes–it had closed.

What remained was only to wait–I believe with unwavering certainty that Sandora will come back safely.

“But, sir, you’ve been pacing in the same spot for ten minutes now…”

Some stiff Scorpion completely unaware of the situation with its way of speaking really makes one itch with irritation!

Nonsense! My girlfriend is fighting for her life!! And it’s a duel with a fifty-fifty chance of winning, dammit!!

Even the first time I faced the powerful Fallen Apostle in the world of Azeroth, I had never been so worried. Sandora’s strong capabilities had always been the reason for my unwavering confidence in her, but this time, she had to face a true formidable enemy. Whoever it is, the hardest person to defeat will always be oneself, and Sandora is no exception.

Time passed, minute by minute, and that eerie mirror still hung in the air, like an eternal monument. Quiet and unassuming, its surface gave no indication of the fierce battle raging “inside.” Silence enveloped the vast sky and earth, with even my breathing clearly audible. Perhaps not much time had passed, just ten minutes–barely a warm-up in such a special battle–but it felt as if an agonizing decade had gone by.

Just as Sandora said, the “Memory Mirror” was completely indestructible, existing here merely as a projected image. Upon confirming this, I felt a sense of deflation.

Could Sandora defeat her past self?

As time slowly slipped away, this doubt in my heart grew increasingly uncontrollable. I knew I shouldn’t doubt Sandora’s strength, but the cold aura of that clone… it scared me. And could this all be a trap? Was the mirror created by Ai Hua solely to eliminate Sandora? Did she plot new schemes over the past million years? Was that clone really Sandora? Did Ai Hua enhance her Racial Talent?

Love breeds chaos, and that’s exactly my state of mind right now, worsened by the fact that I’m someone prone to overthinking. It’s been over ten minutes since Sandora left with no word, and even our Spiritual Connection has completely broken–having grown accustomed to the warmth of her company deep in my soul, this situation made me even more irritable.

“Sir, please believe in the power of Commander Sandora,” Vega tried to reassure me, “The mighty Imperial Leader absolutely possesses the strength to overcome herself!”

To be honest, this rigid Scorpion’s comforting skills were hardly effective, but in this empty place, Vega’s voice still managed to calm me slightly.

Then, after what felt like years of waiting, the silvery mirror finally began to shake again. Under our anxious gaze, its surface suddenly erupted in a burst of white light, and a familiar figure emerged.

Not until that blond girl cheekily winked in our direction did I finally confirm, my Sandora was back.

“It was easier than I expected,” Sandora said, arms crossed, landing lightly beside me and letting out a long breath, “Ai Hua really did well, truly cloning my past self–hundred percent strength. But obviously, she’s never seen my Abyss Form. In such a place with no fodder to control, Spirit Manipulation doesn’t stand a chance against Abyss Fighting Skill… it was a foregone conclusion…”

Sandora spoke casually, but I noticed she kept her arms crossed, a faint blue glow seeping from beneath her ribs.

“Are you hurt?” I frowned, trying to pry her arm away, but she lightly dodged.

“It’s nothing… I was caught off guard at the start and got controlled by my past self. ‘She’ knew my spirit very well… But the body of a Xyrin Apostle is not the same as a human’s. It healed quickly…”

Seeing the look on her face that clearly didn’t want me to worry, it was obvious how severe her “no big deal” injury actually was. It’s easy to say, but even with a significant advantage, how could one easily defeat an equal opponent who knew oneself like the back of their hand?

But Sandora didn’t give me a chance to continue speaking, and instead suddenly lowered her head and bumped into my chest, “Ah Jun, I’m going to punish you this time, you must have been letting your thoughts run wild, haven’t you?”

Just as I was about to deny it, she turned her head away, “Anyway, I can guess whatever you’re about to say… Ah Jun, remember, if something like this happens again, all you need to do is to fully trust me, I’m not here just to be a decorative vase by your side…”

“Sorry…”

Sandora turned around and flashed me a smile, showing her teeth, “But… it feels quite nice to have someone worry about you like this, I never realized this before–hey, that mirror over there, how much longer are you going to keep up the act? You’re actually as fragile as a real mirror now!!”

It was then that I remembered that there was still an enemy we hadn’t dealt with–though it seemed she was no longer much of a threat.

Even the Second Transformation had been defeated; the mirror hovering in the low altitude began to tremble slightly as Sandora finished her sentence, and then just like real glass, it shattered to the ground with a “crash”.

Avis, the shattered image of himself, reappeared before us, with hollows and distortions all over his body caused by the loss of his soul. Apart from his facial features that could still be vaguely made out, “he” had almost completely turned into an impressionist illustration until, after about a dozen seconds, Avis finally managed to coalesce into a rough human form with great difficulty.

“Why go to such lengths?”

Sandora suddenly sighed softly, her tone no longer as cold as at the beginning. For a Xyrin Apostle, even an enemy deserved respect at the moment of their death.

“Revenge…” It seemed Avis had lost most of his ability to think, and could only kneel on the ground with a vacant look, shivering as he repeated a few simple words, “…Hometown… Ancestors… Brethren… Our homeland was… by aliens…”

“But you’ve never even seen your own homeland, have you? You shouldn’t even be considered a true Iverson.”

Sandora startlingly said.

This time, not only was I shocked, but Avis, who was not far away, also suddenly raised his head, making a strange “hissing” sound.

“You… you’re just a false soul created in the moment before the extinction of the Iverson race, a soul formed from all the species’ desires for vengeance…” Sandora shook her head slightly, “Fragments of Iverson racial consciousness, having never seen your own homeworld, never having spent time with your brethren; all of that is memory imposed on you, doomed from birth with a mission for revenge… What’s more, by that time, the entire Iverson had completely turned into the Abyss Army; they even began to systematically destroy all life they could find… Knowing all this, why did you go to such lengths?”

“You… how do you know…”

Avis’s panicked tone immediately confirmed the bombshell Sandora had revealed.

“I was in the depths of your soul for a good ten minutes just now, if it weren’t for wanting to ease Ah Jun’s mind as quickly as possible, I could have seen even more,” Sandora shrugged; it turned out that she had spent most of her time earlier satisfying her curiosity deep inside someone’s heart, “I saw these things in your memories, and perhaps you haven’t even realized it yourself, but you’re nothing like the true Iverson at all!”

Sandora stretched out her right hand, pointing at Avis who was trying to evade, “The true Iverson did not have a ‘self’ awareness, so they never had a fixed form or appearance, but you–the appearance you take is that of the Old Fox’s wife, right? No matter how severely you’re injured, your first reaction is always to immediately restore this look. That’s not something an Iverson would think of doing, you… you already have a self, idiot.”

(Oh, what popularity… cough cough, it’s all about popularity!! As we’re nearing the end of the month, let’s heat up the popularity!!!) (To be continued, if you wish to know what happens next, please visit www.NovelFire.net, for more chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)