Daric, Kaelen, and the buff goat stood before the swirling portal.
It pulsed ominously, shimmering with every color imaginable—and a few that probably shouldn't exist.
Daric adjusted the Fancy Cane of Diplomacy at his belt and squared his shoulders.
"Let's see what nightmare fuel we've got this time,"
Kaelen smirked, twirling his Frying Pan of Chaos.
The buff goat headbutted the portal affectionately.
With a collective deep breath (and much regret), they stepped through.
—
The new realm was... quiet.
Too quiet.
Endless glass stretched in every direction, reflecting infinite versions of themselves.
A chill ran down Daric's spine as the system notification popped up:
[Welcome to the Realm of Mirrors.]
[Warning: Reality Stability: 47%.]
[Objective: Reach the Central Core. Defeat "The Other You."]
Daric groaned. "Oh great. Evil doppelgangers. My favorite."
Kaelen smirked. "Maybe yours will be less grumpy."
The buff goat flexed in every mirror it passed.
—
Status Update:
Name: DaricClass: Primal Hunter (Legendary)Titles: Chickenbane, Monarch Slayer, Brunchbreaker, Stuffing Slayer, Realmwalker, The Ridiculous OneEssence Total: 400,000Primary Weapon: Shovel of Destiny (Enhanced)Secondary Weapon: Fancy Cane of DiplomacyLevel: 48Ascended Realms: 5Current Status: 20% Realmwalker Authority Unlocked
Kaelen's list was equally absurd, including "Professional Ferret Wrangler" and "Frying Pan Crusader."
The buff goat had somehow unlocked "Lord of Gains."
—
They moved cautiously through the mirror maze.
Each reflection whispered, distorted, and twisted as they passed.
Daric caught glimpses of:
A version of himself dressed entirely in pink glitter armor.A version where he had giant muscular arms and tiny chicken legs.One where he and Kaelen had swapped bodies.
He dry-heaved at that last one.
[Realm Event: Mirror Madness Activated.]
Suddenly, mirror versions of themselves burst out, attacking with exaggerated movements.
Mirror Daric wielded a shovel three times too big for his body.
Mirror Kaelen fought exclusively with jazz hands.
Mirror Goat wore a monocle and berated them for poor posture.
"I hate this place," Daric growled, dodging a glitter bomb from his counterpart.
They fought their mirrored selves in a chaotic, slapstick brawl.
The buff goat defeated his monocled self by performing an impressive suplex.
Daric finally floored his Mirror Self with a brutal combo: shovel to the knees, cane to the face, a witty insult to the soul.
[Victory: First Wave Defeated.]
[Essence Gained: 20,000.]
But the path ahead remained.
—
Deeper into the maze, the reflections grew meaner.
Daric faced echoes of every failure he had ever endured: falling during the Ascension Ladder, getting pecked by Cluckles, and being mocked by sarcastic clouds.
The mirrors whispered.
"You're just lucky."
"You're not a hero."
"You peaked at defeating a duck."
Kaelen fought off his reflections: versions of himself who failed to save Daric, who gave up during the Duckpocalypse.
The buff goat... wrestled his inner demons by headbutting his fears into submission.
Typical.
Daric clenched his fists.
"I'm not perfect," he growled. "But I'm still standing. And I'm still going forward."
He smashed through the mirror with a roar.
A brilliant path of light formed ahead.
They had passed the Trial of Reflection.
—
At the center of the realm stood the Central Core—a crystalline obelisk, floating within a vortex of shifting mirrors.
Waiting before it...
A replica of Daric.
Except this Daric radiated pure malice. His armor was darker, his eyes colder.
[Boss Encounter: The Other You.]
[Level: Equal to Player +2.]
"Figures," Daric muttered. "Couldn't have been an easier clone."
Evil Daric raised his weapon: a corrupted Shovel of Ruin.
The battle was inevitable.
—
The clash was brutal.
Evil Daric mirrored every move perfectly.
When Daric dodged left, Evil Daric anticipated. When Daric countered, Evil Daric parried.
Kaelen and the buff goat fought their twisted counterparts in the background.
Daric realized he couldn't win by brute strength.
He had to outthink himself.
He faked a stumble.
Evil Daric lunged—predictable.
Daric twisted mid-fall, using the Fancy Cane-like a lever, and flung his counterpart into a wall of mirrors.
The impact shattered the illusions around them.
Daric moved swiftly, driving the Shovel of Destiny into Evil Daric's corrupted core.
With a final, spiteful hiss, Evil Daric disintegrated into smoke.
The system exploded with notifications:
[Boss Defeated: The Other You]
[Essence Gained: 50,000]
[New Skill Unlocked: Mirror Breaker]
[Ascension Authority: 30%]
The Central Core pulsed and opened a radiant new portal.
—
Exhausted but victorious, Daric turned to his companions.
Kaelen was dusting glitter off his armor.
The buff goat had claimed a shiny new monocle.
Daric grinned.
"Another realm down."
Kaelen clapped him on the back.
"Another step closer to whatever ridiculous madness awaits."
Daric adjusted his Fancy Cane, shouldered his Shovel of Destiny, and marched forward.
Because no matter how many evil ducks, magical cats, cursed toys, or mirror demons he faced...
He was Daric.
Realmwalker.
And nothing—not even his own worst self—could stop him now.