*ding!*

[You have killed 16 Sorceresses of Rebirth – Level 482 – Level 815. You have gained partial experience for some. For killing an opponent two hundred levels higher than your own, you have gained bonus experience.]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. The Mirrorborn Slayer has gained 11 levels and reached Level 599. You have been awarded 33 stat points]

[Congratulations. Chakram of Echoes effect activated. Upon reaching Level 590 in your main class, you have earned one more Chakrams.]

Okay, I need to convert all my regular chakrams into level 2. I'm running out of space on my arms.

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Mirror's Affinity (III) has gained 3 levels and reached Level 81. All of your mirror-based attacks will get a 486% boost.]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Ambush Tactics (II) has gained 2 levels and reached Level 70]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Mirror Step (II) has gained 4 levels and reached Level 6]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Mirrorbound Sight (III) has gained 2 levels and reached Level 42]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Mirror Tower Shield (III) has gained 1 level and reached Level 3]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Mirror's Wrath (II) has gained 1 level and reached Level 75]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Mirror Shard Fury (II) has gained 1 level and reached Level 99]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Greater Vitalize (III) has gained 3 levels and reached Level 22]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Spectral Dominion (II) has gained 4 levels and reached Level 51]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Heaven's Wrath (I) has gained 5 levels and reached Level 38]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. The Slayer's Dance (I) has gained 6 levels and reached Level 7]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Alpha Aura (I) has gained 4 levels and reached Level 34]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Wild Instincts (II) has gained 2 levels and reached Level 20]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Shadow Affinity (II) has gained 3 levels and reached Level 93. All of your shadow-based attacks will get a 372% boost.]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Tactician's Gaze (II) has gained 2 levels and reached Level 24]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Absorption (I) has gained 2 levels and reached Level 89]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Haunting Presence (I) has gained 2 levels and reached Level 26]

This one gave her pause. She figured the daughters were scared of her since they were lower level than her. Not to mention, she did hunt the ones in the woods, which must've terrified them.

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Spectral Resilience (II) has gained 2 levels and reached Level 99]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Soul Bond - Onyx the Stallion (I) has gained 2 levels and reached Level 28]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Iron Skin (II) has gained 3 levels and reached Level 75]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Accelerated Healing (II) has gained 4 levels and reached Level 23]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Volatility (I) has gained 3 levels and reached Level 66]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Nightfall Surge (I) has gained 5 levels and reached Level 10]

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Frost Sense (I) has gained 3 levels and reached Level 7]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Replicator (I) has gained 4 levels and reached Level 33]

*ding!*

[Congratulations. Armor of Mirrors has gained 7 levels and reached Level 271]

She breezed through all of the daughter's skills she had stolen, though some gave her pause, mainly the one that let her split her soul and create clones of herself.

*ding!*

[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Rebirth Ritual – Level 516. Rebirth Ritual – Type: Passive. Affinity: Soul Affinity. You can split your soul into two or more fragments, which will be solid duplicates of yourself. These duplicates will have all your skills but will be half as strong as you are. Speak the following words to begin the spell—Vadho a'te utho. Meri jindari de sev'ko. Splitting one's soul can have dire circumstances when you stand before the Lord of Deeds, that is, if all your soul fragments make it to him together.]

She could see how it could be helpful, but the more she thought about it, the less she wanted to take it, especially after reading the last sentence. The chant seemed to be in an oddly familiar language. After much debate, she decided not to take the skill. She didn't see anything else she fancied from Aksha and her daughters. However, there was one skill that would let her flood the battlefield with poison, but since she didn't have poison immunity, she would be poisoned by it as well.

Finally, she came to the skills she had stolen from the Cosmarian.

*ding!*

[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the general skill Gravity Affinity (V) – Level 100. This determines how close you are to the gravity element. Gravity Affinity is a balance of overwhelming force and precise control, making it one of the most versatile and awe-inspiring elemental affinities. All of your gravity-based attacks will get a 1000% boost.]

*ding!*

[Class Ability Activated. You have stolen the skill Misidentify (VI) – Level 81. Misidentify – Type: Passive. Affinity: Illusion Affinity. You can alter how others perceive your level and tag. This skill does not change your actual level, stats, or skills, but creates an illusion that fools others' Identify skill. At this Tier, you can project false auras of strength or mask your auras to hide your true nature.]

Meera's jaw dropped. They were both excellent skills. If she knew where to find a group of people with gravity skills, she would have picked Gravity Affinity immediately. It was at the max level. It could not get any higher than that.

No wonder Eryx blocked Zerodra's attack so nonchalantly.

But the second one was perfect for her. It was why she couldn't feel Silas and Cossus's aura, and how they had fooled her into thinking they were so low-leveled. She could use this skill to hide her divine aura and keep it hidden that she's an Ascendant. However, there was a possibility she could run into people with gravity classes. Of course, it wasn't a given, but she could.

I should take what's best for me now and not fall into what might be. She chose Misidentify and gave up Winter's Mark.

*ding!*

[You have acquired the skill Misidentify (VI) – Level 81]

She tried it out immediately. She activated the skill, and a notification popped up.

[Please define your new Tag and Level]

Meera's lips curled up into a smile. Oh, I'm going to like this.

She cracked an eye open and saw Kalrina stretching with a yawn. She thought she would have fun with the witch, so she chose her new level and tag. Then, she tried the other effect of the skill and masked her divine aura completely so she would feel like a human.

While she waited, she quickly dumped all her stat points into Essence, as it was her newest stat, and she couldn't wait to see what it would do at higher numbers. She brought up her stats to see how far along she had come.

[Name: Meera Singh]

[Age: 24]

[Race: Ascendant]

[Class: The Mirrorborn Slayer – Level 599]

[Class Ability: Replicator (I) – Level 33]

Stats

[Health: 4300/4300]

[Stamina: 178/4210]

[Mana: 2141/5900]

Attributes

[Constitution: 430]

[Power: 120]

[Dexterity: 412]

[Endurance: 421]

[Focus: 590]

[Agility: 320]

[Perception: 269]

[Essence: 34]

Skills

[Ambush Tactics (II) – Level 70]

[Shroud of Shadows (II) - Level 82]

[Nightstalker Bindings (II) - Level 56]

[Mirror Step (II) - Level 6]

[Druvis Might (II) - Level 57]

[Mirrorbound Sight (III) - Level 42]

[Mirror Tower Shield (III) - Level 3]

[Mirror's Wrath (II) - Level 75]

[Mirror Shard Fury (II) - Level 98]

[Greater Vitalize (III) - Level 22]

[Mirror Bolt (III) - Level 24]

[Corrupting Hex (I) – Level 59]

[Shadow Coating (II) - Level 66]

[Mirror Phantom (II) - Level 54]

[Dusk Veil (II) – Level 20]

[Spectral Dominion (II) – Level 51]

[Death Mark (II) – Level 22]

[Shadowflame Devastation (I) – Level 98]

[Bastian's Strength (II) – Level 41]

[Heaven's Wrath (I) – Level 38]

[Ice Ball (II) – Level 8]

[Frigid Wave (II) – Level 45]

[Misidentify (VI) – Level 81]

[The Slayer's Dance (I) – Level 7]

[Quaking Fist (IV) – Level 95]

General Skills

[Identify (I) – Level 23]

[Mirror Affinity (III) – Level 81]

[Climbing (I) – Level 20]

[Tree Walker (I) - Level 15]

[Potion Making (I) - Level 1]

[Alpha Aura (I) - Level 34]

[Wild Instincts (II) - Level 20]

[Charred Body (I) - Level 15]

[Shadow Affinity (II) - Level 93]

[Tactician's Gaze (II) – Level 24]

[Prismatic Distortion (I) - Level 29]

[Absorption (I) - Level 89]

[Haunting Presence (I) - Level 26]

[Spectral Resilience (II) - Level 99]

[Blood Magic (I) – Level 1]

[Soul Bond - Onyx the Stallion (I) – Level 28]

[Negotiation Expertise (I) – Level 5]

[Alcohol Tolerance (I) – Level 1]

[Eyes of a Phoenix (I) – Level 27]

[Iron Skin (II) – Level 75]

[Gladiator's Last Breath (I) – Level 25]

[Accelerated Healing (II) - Level 23]

[Volatility (I) - Level 66]

[Nightfall Surge (I) - Level 10]

[Frost Sense (I) - Level 7]

Armor

[Armor of Mirrors - Level 271]

Then she closed her eyes and waited for Kalrina to notice. She took so long that Meera fell asleep.

"We're almost at Drurith, Meera." Kalrina shook her.

Meera sat up with a yawn. Her Stamina hadn't fully returned, but it was enough that her head wasn't pounding anymore. She activated Mirrorbound Sight at once, and the world came alive around her. Colors sharpened and became crisper. She quickly surveyed the woods around her, and there was no immediate danger.

They were on a wide road heading towards a big, broken gate in a gigantic stone wall. It was the same gate they had escaped from with dragons on their tails. Unlike last time, no dragons were manning the stone wall. Instead, she could see a man with a spear patrolling the parapets. The sun hung low in the sky, and Mirithia had begun to brighten.

"Back to where it all started," Meera commented.

"Right, you are, my dear."

Then, she was unsure where the thought came from, but she spoke. "So, Veridiana's prophecy came true after all."

Kalrina frowned. "What prophecy?"

"She told me about a prophecy an oracle had ordained for her about a century ago. The prophecy that foretold her death and the death of the sisterhood."

The witch perked up immediately. "Oh, do tell."

Meera rummaged through her Belt and found the yellowed piece of paper that Veridiana had given her. She handed it to the witch, who read it out loud.

The Champion's footsteps mark the end,

Your world will the dragons rend.

The Beast of fire & stone will finally rest,

Her lover will wake from his nest.

Frost & ice will Gethys know by his hand,

The child of the Queen's final stand.

Only you alone will prove your worth,

And beware, for the Arbiter will birth.

"Then, it's because of this she never came out of her room," Kalrina concluded. "She was always training for her death."

Meera nodded glumly. "She knew her end was here as soon as Neel stepped foot on this world."

Kalrina frowned. "The Champion has been here for at least six months. In that time, he's dined with kings large and small. It is said he traveled everywhere, so it's hard to believe he wouldn't have come to the greatest city in all the worlds."

Meera shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe the time of the prophecy hadn't come yet. And maybe the prophecy meant it word-for-word. That the Champion's footsteps would literally mark the end of whatever place he walked in. Even Eryx's glade was destroyed, though not completely."

"Wiryar Forest felt the wrath of our dear friend, the angry archdragon," Kalrina added.

"And Drurith faced the wrath of his children," Meera said. "The second line is evident enough. No matter where you look, the dragons have left their mark."

"The beast of fire and stone…" Kalrina rubbed her chin. "Akhessai?"

Meera nodded. "It could only be her. She was a fire dragon entombed in stone. Veridiana finally put her rest as her final act, and we woke her lover. Well, he's probably still freezing everything in sight as he makes his way to the Light Bringer Mountains."

"We made a real mess of things waking that monster," Kalrina said with a faraway look in her eye.

Meera raised an eyebrow. "Wow, so you do have a conscience."

Kalrina snorted. "It's known to rear its head now and again." She looked back at the small scroll. "I love the next line." She pointed to it. "Aksha never stood a chance against us."

Meera tilted her head. "You're joking, right? We barely won that fight. With one skill, she turned us into mewling babies."

"It wasn't so bad as that," the witch said, making Meera raise an eyebrow. "Fine, it was quite close, but we pulled through."

The following line about Veridiana proving her worth saddened Meera. Despite trying to keep her imprisoned, she still did a lot for her. If it weren't for her training, Meera would not know how to use her skills in perfect conjunction with each other. Then came her greatest gift after she died.

"Veridiana proved her worth by making me an Ascendent," Meera said ruefully.

"Or the Arbiter," Kalrina added. "Actually, both. What are they? Or, as a matter of fact, what are you?"

"I'm still me, nothing has changed on that front, but I'm no longer just a human. An Ascendant is someone who is more than a human but also not quite a god. As the notification said, they've taken their first steps onto the path of divinity."

"So, that's why Veridiana could break the Gateway Mirror. No ordinary human, no matter their level, can even scratch a Gateway Mirror. Tell me more about being an Ascendant," Kalrina said. "When was this?"

Meera sighed and told her about her meeting with Darthin and how he stopped everyone so Meera and he could talk. As soon as she mentioned Darthin, the witch perked up.

"You met with Darthin, as in the Master of Skills," she said, eyes wide.

"Sure did. He wasn't very happy with you," Meera lied. "But I convinced him to let you be for now, but you're on his naughty list."

Kalrina gulped, and Meera couldn't keep a straight face any longer. She cracked up and laughed harder than she had in weeks.

"Oh, that was good. I'll get you back for that," the witch said. "Is he also the reason why you seem to be able to steal people's skills?"

Meera paused mid-laugh. "How do you know that?"

"Come on, my dear, it's pretty obvious. Well, it's obvious for someone like me, who has been in many battles with you. But even otherwise, you have such a wide range of skills that could scarcely fit in two classes. Like those ice skills, you somehow manifested once our fight with Aksha began."

Meera sighed. She thought about lying, but it would take too much effort, and she was still tired from all the fighting. Despite Kalrina's nature and history, Meera had been through hell and back with this woman. "Yes, I can steal skills, but only one per person."

"I knew it!" The witch exclaimed. "Oh my, you could become the strongest warrior to walk these lands with such an ability."

"It's not as powerful as you think. I don't get to choose the skills. They're just randomly given to me."

Kalrina leaned in. "Which one did you steal from me?"

Meera smiled. "One of the best ones—Mirror Wing."

She gasped lightly. "It cannot be."

"Oh yes, I got many more mirror skills from your golems. In other words, I have somewhat of a mirror class because of you."

Kalrina was stunned. "That means you got something from Eryx as well. What did you get?"

"I'm surprised it's taken you this long. Haven't you noticed something different about me?"

The witch squinted her eyes as she leaned in. "You don't seem to have the powerful aura anymore—the one you had after you killed Veridiana." Then she must have used Identify as her eyes snapped open. "That's not funny."

[Kalrina's Intelligence – Level 1]

Meera had a hearty laugh once again. Once she settled down, she said. "I stole Misidentify from our gardener friend. It's perfect. It'll help me hide my Ascendant nature from everyone."

"You're just full of surprises," the witch said. "Well, you better change your tag to something reasonable, as we're almost at the city gates. Let's go see if we can find a Gateway Mirror off this world in this garbage dump of a city."

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