That Face Is the Problem - vanish into fiction

The team could not complete the raid until they passed through this maze. They might encounter each other in person or see each other reflected in the mirrors, but since the maze was narrow, it was difficult to move together.

Team 1’s strategy was as follows.

First, each member would enter the maze individually (Da-sol and Yi-hyeon were considered as one unit). If even one of the six reached the single exit of this Mirror Dungeon first, the mirrors would disappear completely, and the raid would be complete.

They were to avoid breaking the mirrors recklessly since it could cause injury. They would use prearranged signals and…

The seven team members pulled out permanent markers from their item boxes.

“We’ll draw lines on the mirrors as we walk. Everyone brought enough markers, right?”

Typically, dungeon raids could take days or even weeks, meaning the maze could be massive and long. Each member carried an item box around their waist containing not only markers but also compressed food and water.

“Alright, let’s go. See you soon.”

Hyeon Hee-ro spoke and stepped forward first. Next was Jeong Jeong-eon, followed by Jae-gyeong, Ye-jin, Ri-na, and finally Da-sol and Yi-hyeon.

Suddenly, the mirrored world twisted like a sparkling disco ball, and the walls, floor, and ceiling of the mirrors began forming shapes. The maze was creating itself to welcome the new intruders.

Jae-gyeong activated his first skill.

“[Angel’s Judgment].”

A huge, dazzling pair of wings sprouted from his back. Dark armor grew on his right forearm. His left arm held the shield he had been carrying with authority.

‘Fits snugly…’

The wings were so large that the maze felt narrow in comparison. Jae-gyeong folded them as much as possible and opened the cap of the marker in his right hand.

Swish. He drew a black line on the side mirror as he began walking. No sound came from the surroundings. Everyone else seemed to be positioned far apart.

Fortunately, the line did not disappear or distort. Hyeon Hee-ro had been worried that the mirrors might erase or warp the lines to cause confusion, but it seemed the mirrors themselves had no life.

The problem was the people or objects reflected in the mirrors. Jae-gyeong looked at his flawless reflection. It felt as if a doppelgänger identical to him was walking side by side, which was unsettling.

Only the black line on the hand’s position distinguished the real Jae-gyeong from his doppelgänger. He checked the opposite mirrors, floor, and ceiling once.

‘If there were really this many of me, how horrible would the world be?’

It was a low self-esteem thought, but in fact, others were thinking the same thing.

“Hyung, even after all that training, it’s scary…”

Yi-hyeon, drawing lines on the right-side mirror ahead, spoke to Da-sol, who was drawing lines on the left-side mirror behind him.

“The mirrors are too clean; they don’t even feel like mirrors. It’s like a person identical to me is walking side by side. Ugh…”

“Ah, really.”

Da-sol walked expressionlessly, silently wishing Yi-hyeon would stop talking.

“But you said the version of me in the mirror would attack me. When exactly does it attack? Is there a specific timing?”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s fortunate that there are two of us, or else it would be even scarier for the others. I did say I wanted to get stronger, but I never thought I’d enter an S-rank dungeon that’s terrifying from the start. Until yesterday, I was debating whether to run away. Hehe, I’m silly, right?”

“Uh…”

“Really? Am I that silly, hyung?”

Yi-hyeon looked at Da-sol with a pout. Then Da-sol muttered, “Shit.” Yi-hyeon made an even bigger pout.

“Why are you cursing!”

“Left.”

“Huh?”

At Da-sol’s words, Yi-hyeon glanced at the left mirror. He was looking at Da-sol, and the reflection of Yi-hyeon in the right mirror was also looking at Da-sol, but the Yi-hyeon in the left mirror was standing straight, facing forward alone.

“Ahhhhhh!!!”

Yi-hyeon screamed in terror. Simultaneously, the Yi-hyeon in the left mirror shot flames at the real Yi-hyeon and Da-sol. Da-sol instinctively blocked his shield, and Yi-hyeon activated his S-rank defensive item.

After the fire attack stopped and they lowered their shield and item, they saw the mirrored Yi-hyeon trembling, now merely a reflection and no longer a monster.

“What the hell is this, shit.”

Da-sol frowned.