[TUTORIAL FLOOR FOUR: HALL OF MIRRORED TRUTH]
Objective: Endure your memories. Escape the loop.
Time Limit: 3 Hours
Warning:
This floor manifests guilt, betrayal, and fear.
The Tower will distort your past.
Your enemies do not remember you—but the Tower does.
You must walk alone. Or be consumed by illusion.
When Wang Ling opened his eyes, the silence was absolute.
No blood.
No monsters.
Just a long, endless hallway of mirrors — each stretching floor to ceiling, polished to perfection.
Yue's voice echoed from behind him. "Where… are we?"
He said nothing.
"This floor isn't made to kill your body. Just your soul."
As they stepped forward, the mirrors changed.
At first, they only showed reflections.
Then… fragments.
The first mirror showed his younger self — Level 12, fresh wounds, standing before a party of five.
Laughing. Naïve. Eyes still full of hope.
"We'll climb together, right?" the reflection asked, smiling.
Behind him stood:
• The Hero, Jian Wu, with that arrogant smirk.
• The Saintess, Liya, eyes warm and hands glowing.
• The Shadowblade, silent and mocking.
• The Elementalist, prideful and aloof.
• The Healer, Mei — the one who always watched him too long.
The mirror froze on the moment they betrayed him.
"You don't belong at the top," Jian Wu's reflection sneered.
"You were just the mule who carried us here," Liya whispered.
"Did you really think we were friends?" Mei asked softly, her hand slipping the dagger into his back.
Yue watched the scene unfold with wide eyes.
Wang Ling… did not flinch.
His reflection bled.
They laughed.
[System Notification: Emotional Suppression Detected]
Player Wang Ling has resisted Mirror Illusion Phase 1.
Mental Resistance +1
Trait Evolved: Frozen Core
Immune to illusion-based fear.
Psychological attacks lose 60% effectiveness.
They moved on.
Another mirror formed.
This time, Wang Ling stood at the summit of the Tower. Alone. Bleeding.
As the others circled him with weapons drawn.
"It's nothing personal," Jian Wu said.
"Only one can ascend," Liya smiled.
And then…
They stabbed him again.
Again.
Again.
The Tower forced the loop.
Yue was on the floor now, whispering.
"They… they did that to you?"
He looked at her.
"They were weak," he said. "So they lied. And when they feared me most, they turned."
"But this time—"
"They won't even reach the top to betray me."
"I'll erase their paths before they begin."
[System Notice: Emotional Suppression Phase 2 Complete]
New Title Gained: The One Who Does Not Break
While under mental influence, you remain in full control.
Passive fear effect increased by 20%.
As they passed through the final mirror…
The last vision showed them now.
Yue, following him like a shadow.
Wang Ling, cold and untouched.
"You're not human anymore," Mirror-Jian mocked.
"You're a god playing with ants," Mirror-Mei whispered.
"You'll end up alone again," Mirror-Liya promised. "And this time… you'll like it."
He paused.
Then shattered the mirror with a single punch.
[Illusion Broken – Tower Interference Rejected]
"I'm not here to be understood."
"I'm here to finish what I started."
[FLOOR CLEARED – TUTORIAL FLOOR FOUR COMPLETE]
Time Taken: 57 minutes
Damage Taken: 0
+1 Level
+20 Achievement Points
Title Gained: Mirror Slayer
Reduces illusion and fear effects on nearby allies by 50%
Yue Loyalty +3 (Total: 22%)
Back in the real world, Yue trembled beside him as they reappeared in the dorm.
Her eyes were red.
"You… you saw them again, didn't you?"
"They're already dead," he said. "They just don't know it yet."
[Next Floor Begins in: 23:59:59]
Floor 5: The Iron Clock Tower
Objective: Survive 1 hour of combat while bound by weight
Monsters: Timebound Executioners
Bonus Objective: Break the mechanism before the hour ends
Wang Ling walked to the window.
The sky was darker now.
Even civilians were beginning to feel it.
Time ran differently. Lights flickered. Animals screamed at nothing.
"The Tower bleeds."
"And soon, Earth won't be untouched anymore."