While Drayk continued his intense training in the Nexum dungeon, his allies moved in the shadows of the real world. Fate was now in the hands of Orzoth, Kaelon, and Varian.
The trio arrived in Varnak at dusk, disguised in simple clothes and protected by illusion magic. The city was no longer the same. Posters scattered throughout the streets warned of a new "draconic threat," while priests gave speeches in the squares, calling for the kingdom's purity and the annihilation of the heirs of chaos.
"This place reeks of manipulation..." — murmured Kaelon, his eyes scanning the streets cautiously. "So strong you can feel it in the air."
"The Order is acting more subtly than in Galdoria," — replied Orzoth. "Here, the war is invisible... and much more dangerous."
The group split up.
Kaelon infiltrated the local guards, posing as a newly arrived recruit. Thanks to the mass recruitment promoted by Varnak to strengthen its army, his entry was almost trivial. The criteria were minimal — it was enough to know how to wield a sword or cast a basic offensive spell. Among so many rookies, no one questioned his origin. After all, in an army hastily assembled, even a wolf can hide among dogs.
Varian, blending her natural charm with the precision of an assassin, returned to frequent the taverns of Varnak — this time, a bit more exposed. Between subtle smiles and calculated glances, she listened in on conversations and attentive ears, searching for dissenting voices and hearts dissatisfied with the newly imposed order.
It didn't take long to find small groups uneasy with the strict control established in the city. Many avoided showing any rebellion, but the indoctrination was intense. Newly recruited mercenaries, even if suspicious of the narrative, feared more than anything going to war with a primordial dragon.
As for Orzoth… he took the biggest risk. Using complex magic to alter his appearance and create small illusions, he managed to infiltrate the intelligence center of Lord Darius — which had expanded considerably. Disguised and silent, he began to mingle with the officials closest to the local government and, in doing so, gained direct access to all the information passed from the Order and the capital to the city of Varnak.
Days passed.
In a small abandoned house in the city's slums, the group gathered to exchange information.
Kaelon was the first to speak, mentioning a name that all the soldiers feared: Lady Sylren. According to rumors, Darius received direct orders from her — and more, they said she was everywhere at once. Guards whispered that she could see through others' eyes.
"She's everywhere. One mistake... and your mind turns to dust," — the soldiers told Kaelon.
Upon hearing the name, Varian turned pale. Her expression hardened immediately.
"You know her?" — Orzoth asked, alert.
"Yes... she's one of the generals of the Order," — Varian replied, clenching her fists. It was clear that the mere mention of Sylren shook her.
"One of the generals, here in Varnak..." — Orzoth murmured. "Unlike what happened when we invaded the capital, it seems the Order is now making sure nothing goes wrong. Do you have any information about her that could help us?"
Varian nodded, taking a deep breath before explaining.
Sylren Elvarin.
An elf many believe to be immortal. Her age is unknown.
Her main ability: time manipulation.
According to Varian, she used this ability both in combat and as a tool of domination.
It was common for her to erase the memories of subordinates and insert new ones, molding them to her will — a forged loyalty, unquestionable and terrifying.
Orzoth immediately understood how problematic her presence would be. The Order was interfering directly, and the group had not foreseen this.
— Her name... — Orzoth murmured. — I saw it in some documents I copied from the intelligence center.
With a gesture, the sage summoned a series of scrolls, spreading them out on the table. One of them caught everyone's attention:
"Complete conversion of Varnak into an ethical-magical doctrine center. First phase completed. Second phase: integration with the city's runes for collective perception control."
Signed: S. Elvarin.
Silence fell over the group.
...
In the central tower of Varnak, Lady Sylren herself watched the city under the moonlight. The immortal elf, draped in ethereal garments and surrounded by a faint temporal glow. Beside her, an emissary of the Order bowed.
"We detected a pulse coming from the Nexum dimension, milady. The dragon... he's growing."
She smiled faintly.
"As expected. Everything is going according to plan."
...
In the hideout, the group discussed ways to discreetly counter the growing indoctrination.
It was then that Kaelon had an idea.
"Tomorrow night, there's going to be a mass broadcasted to the entire city. It must be related to that so-called 'second phase'."
"And what does that have to do with anything, Kaelon?" — Varian retorted, visibly irritated.
"We could try to alter the transmission... and send a message of our own!" — he exclaimed, excited.
Varian narrowed her eyes, not understanding how that would be possible, but Orzoth seemed intrigued by the idea.
"Excellent proposal, young one. I know exactly how we can do that. But we'll need to find at least one of the runes used for the transmission... and it needs to be hidden."
Kaelon gave a slight smile.
"In the sewers... there are several."
"How do you know that?" — Varian asked, suspicious.
"The runes were imbued with dragon blood for a long time. I can feel them."
The decision was made. The next day, during the great mass, the group would take their first step against the Order of the Eclipse.
...
Meanwhile, within the runes, Drayk's intense training continued.
The young man was developing his power and mind at a staggering pace. After completing all the missions he'd taken on the first day, no new ones had appeared.
He questioned Nexum about it.
"What happened to the missions?"
"You need to unlock them." — Nexum replied.
"Alright... got it."
"Could the king of the 20th floor have something to do with it..."
After resting a few hours following his blackout in the fight against the king, Drayk was ready to return to battle. Equipped with his new items, he stepped into the portal and returned to face the creature.
He barely remembered the appearance of that floor's king.
"I was so exhausted I don't even remember what I was fighting."
As soon as he arrived in the hall, it was empty. Drayk searched the place for a while, but no king appeared.
"Did I do something last time to summon him?"
That's when he noticed a small object hanging from one of the pillars in the hall.
"A mirror?"
He picked it up. Upon seeing his reflection, a bright, almost blinding light shone from it. He quickly tossed the mirror aside. As the light faded, a creature resembling Drayk appeared.
"Seriously? A copy of myself?"
The once silent hall now pulsed with suffocating tension. The creature before Drayk was identical to him in every aspect — same stature, same confident expression, the same golden flames pulsing beneath the skin. Even the glow in its eyes... was the same.
It was him. But without limits. Without hesitation. Without weakness.
"So that's it... If I want to move forward, I have to defeat the worst threat possible: myself."
The creature struck first.
Drayk barely had time to react. A direct punch hit his abdomen with absurd force, throwing him backward and cracking the ground beneath him.
"Argh... straight to the point, huh?"
Before he could get up, the clone was already above him, fists wrapped in primordial fire, ready to crush. Drayk rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, and counterattacked with a flurry of quick blows — but each one was blocked with equal precision.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Their draconic claws clashed like blades forged in pure hatred.
They exchanged blows at a speed so insane that common eyes would only see golden blurs. The creature moved with the same agility, used the same feints, the same hybrid style of swordplay and hand-to-hand combat Drayk had developed on his own.
But something was different...
"He doesn't tire..." — Drayk growled, feeling his breath grow heavy. "Nor hesitates..."
They both jumped back, creating distance. The clone spread its wings, flying in circles across the hall ceiling, launching golden fire blasts from above. Drayk raised his arm, activating Dimensional Shield, one of his magic manipulation sub-skills.
"Vek'nar Ral'thorin!" — he recited, and floating portals appeared to redirect the attacks elsewhere.
One portal reflected the fire straight back at the clone. It was caught off guard for a moment, and Drayk took the chance.
BOOOM!
The impact hurled it against a stone pillar.
"My turn!" — Drayk shouted, charging full force.
He activated Predator's Eyes to identify weak points in the enemy's stance. A slight shift in the left shoulder after defending with the right arm... he could exploit it.
Drayk spun his sword to his back, running with wings folded to reduce air resistance.
Side dash, slide underneath, then: a draconic energy uppercut straight to the clone's chin.
The reflection staggered. But... laughed.
"Tsc..." — Drayk stepped back, sensing danger. "Of course..."
The reflection copied his strategy, activating Predator's Eyes as well.
And then, true chaos began.
Both activated Draconic Form simultaneously. Their wings exploded outward, the entire hall quaking from the power surge. The ground cracked into blocks, and the walls began to tremble under the magical pressure.
"Let the real fight begin." — Drayk muttered.
The reflection roared.
They collided in the center of the arena with such force that the shockwave destroyed the side pillars. Golden flames and shadows resonated in all directions. Drayk tried to maintain just enough distance to wield his sword — Blade of the Depths — and so did the reflection.
They struck with precision at each other's flanks, swept legs with their tails, grabbed horns, bit wings... it was a brutal fight, like two ancient predators in a death dance.
Until Drayk realized: he wouldn't win with brute force.
"Alright... if that's what he expects, let's change the rhythm."
He momentarily deactivated his Draconic Form, returning to humanoid form. The reflection hesitated. Fatal mistake.
Drayk used Dimensional Blink, teleporting behind the enemy. Before it could react, he cast Shadow Rift, slicing the surrounding dimension with his special sword. The strike hit the magical core directly, and for a brief moment, the reflection froze.
BOOM!
The clone responded with rage, unleashing a pillar of temporal energy. Drayk felt time freeze around him for fractions of a second, and his vision blurred.
"Time manipulation?!" — he coughed blood. "That's new..."
But he had something new too.
"Original Mode + Primordial Blood... now!"
Energy burst from his body like a caged sun. His claws grew, his eyes shone with Void Wisdom, and his aura paralyzed the reflection through pure instinctive fear.
With his eyes locked on the enemy, Drayk dropped his sword and launched into his final assault bare-handed.
"You're just a shadow... And I'm the king of primordial fire!"
Drayk charged with blazing fists, slicing the air with punches that detonated like meteors. Each impact drove the clone deeper into the fractured ground. The reflection counterattacked, but Drayk dodged as if he knew every move — and he did.
With Sovereign's Eye, he saw intentions, patterns, the enemy's soul.
The final blow was a rising knee to the stomach, followed by a spinning airborne punch straight to the chest.
"Goodbye, lesser version of me."
KABOOM!
The reflection's body exploded into fragments of golden light, disintegrating like a memory that never existed.
Silence.
Drayk dropped to his knees, gasping, body trembling in pain and exhaustion.
[Notice: You have passed the Trial of Reflection.]
[Notice: Level up! — Level 21]
[Notice: Level up! — Level 22]
[Notice: Level up! — Level 23]
[Notice: Level up! — Level 24]
[Notice: Level up! — Level 25]
{Str: 740 | Int: 695 | Dex: 840}
[Skill unlocked: Echo of the Primordial]
(Creates a semi-ethereal copy of Drayk with 50% of his attributes. The duplicate fights alongside him for up to 30 seconds, able to perform physical attacks and basic skills. If destroyed early, it explodes in a wave of moderate flames.)
Drayk smiled, eyes still closed.
"That... was worthy of an anime protagonist."
Then he collapsed — still smiling.
...
The next evening in Valanark, night fell and the great mass was about to begin.
Hidden in the sewers, the group gathered near some runes.
"Why place runes in the sewers?" — Varian questioned.
"These runes had several functions — energy transmission, communication, purification... Since many were placed, they were hidden in the sewers to reduce the number of visible ones." — Kaelon explained.
"It's time." — said Orzoth, beginning his preparations.
Above them, the start of the mass could be heard — a sermon entirely focused on hatred toward the dragon race.
A few minutes after it began, the sage had managed to breach the transmission, interrupting it and inserting their own message.
"Dragons are not monsters. Monsters are the ones who write the lies."
It was enough to spark doubt. And doubt is the first step toward freedom.
From afar, in the tower, Sylren opened her eyes with a slight frown. A whisper left her lips:
"So you've begun to move... Excellent."