52: Chapter 52 My Past Self

The door to the third floor closed behind him.

Chen Mo stood where he was, taking in the scene before him.

It was a circular platform, roughly fifty meters in diameter. Below the platform was a bottomless abyss.

Above him was a starry sky, but not a normal one—the stars were moving slowly, arranging themselves into some eerie pattern.

In the center of the platform stood a person.

A person who looked exactly like him.

Same clothes, same cleaver, same stance.

Even the faint golden glow in his right eye was the same.

[Third Floor Trial: Battle of the Self]

[Opponent: The Past Self]

[Abilities: Possesses all of Chen Mo's abilities before entering the Trial Tower]

[Restriction: The Mirror Image cannot replicate "Eye of Sinister Sight"]

[Victory Condition: Defeat the Mirror Image]

Chen Mo stared at that "self."

That "self" also stared back at him.

Neither of them moved.

Silence lasted for about ten seconds.

Then, that "self" spoke.

"You've come."

Chen Mo didn't say a word.

"I've waited for you for a long time." That "self" took a step forward. "Do you know how long I've been waiting?"

Chen Mo looked at him.

"You are me; you should know."

That "self" smiled.

The smile was exactly the same as his own.

"Yes, I am you. I am how you were before entering the Trial Tower."

He raised his cleaver.

"Pupil of the Sequence, Elementary. Prediction, seven seconds. Invisibility, five seconds. Time Perception, thirty meters."

"These are all things I have."

"What you have that I don't are Eye of Sinister Sight and Rule Analysis."

Chen Mo said nothing.

He was observing.

With the Eye of Sinister Sight operating at full capacity, the lines on that "self" were clearly visible—

The way those lines flowed was exactly the same as his own.

But one place was different.

The chest.

The lines there were fainter than his own.

Not just a little fainter, but very faint.

[Mirror Image defect detected]

[Core unstable; sustained attacks can cause it to collapse]

Chen Mo withdrew his gaze.

He knew.

That "self" also smiled.

"You've discovered it," he said. "Yes, I have a defect. But so do you."

He pointed at Chen Mo's chest.

"Your defect is right there."

Chen Mo looked down at his own chest.

There was nothing.

But that "self's" smile grew wider.

"You don't know," he said. "You've never known."

He charged forward.

His speed was very fast.

Faster than Chen Mo had anticipated.

Within the seven-second Prediction, his movements were clearly visible—

He would first slash at the left shoulder, then spin for a horizontal sweep, and finally thrust the hilt into the abdomen.

Chen Mo stepped aside to dodge the first slash.

As expected, that "self" spun for a horizontal sweep.

Chen Mo ducked to avoid it.

Then, just as predicted, that "self" thrust the hilt towards his abdomen.

Chen Mo took half a step back and dodged.

All three moves missed completely.

But that "self" didn't stop.

He continued his assault.

Slash after slash, move after move, they were all techniques Chen Mo himself had used.

Chen Mo observed while dodging.

Every single action of that "self's" attack was within his Prediction.

But the Prediction window was growing shorter and shorter.

Seven seconds became six.

Six seconds became five.

Five seconds became four.

[Warning: Prediction ability is being suppressed]

[Mirror Image Ability: Tactical Copy]

[Learning your combat patterns]

Chen Mo's heart sank slightly.

It was learning.

With every attack, it was learning.

The shorter the Prediction time, the faster it was learning.

He couldn't let this continue.

Chen Mo activated Infiltrator and vanished from the spot.

Five seconds of invisibility.

He circled behind that "self" and slashed down.

That "self" didn't dodge.

The blade sank in.

Golden liquid gushed out.

But that "self" smiled.

"You've been fooled."

His body suddenly split, becoming two.

Two identical versions.

Chen Mo was stunned.

"This is my ability," one of them said. "Splitting. An ability you don't have."

The two "selves" charged forward simultaneously.

Chen Mo retreated.

Prediction was down to only three seconds.

Within those three seconds, he could see the combined attack of the two "selves"—

One aiming for the head, the other for the feet.

He couldn't dodge.

He activated Eerie Power Burst.

All attributes increased by 50%.

His speed instantly recovered.

He sidestepped to dodge the first one's blade and kicked the second one away.

Then he slashed at the first one's neck.

The first one fell.

But the second one was still there.

And it had learned.

Its speed increased.

It was as fast as Chen Mo in his burst state.

Chen Mo gritted his teeth and continued his attack.

Thirty seconds.

He only had thirty seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Fifteen seconds.

Ten seconds.

At the fifth second, he finally cut down the second one.

Eerie Power Burst ended.

Chen Mo stood there, gasping for breath.

The corpses of the two "selves" were disappearing.

But on the other side of the platform, another one appeared.

It was still that "self."

Completely unharmed.

"You can't kill me," it said. "Because I am you. Killing yourself is killing the past."

Chen Mo stared at it.

Then he laughed.

That "self" was momentarily stunned.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Laughing at how foolish you are."

Chen Mo raised his cleaver.

"You're right, you are me. But only a part."

He took a step forward.

"And a part can never represent the whole."

He closed his eyes.

Eye of Sinister Sight operated at full capacity.

Those rule lines surfaced in his mind—the platform's rules, the Mirror Image's rules, and that hidden rule he had never noticed before.

[Hidden Rule: The Mirror Image can only exist when it is "seen"]

Chen Mo opened his eyes.

He turned around, putting his back to that "self."

"You can't see me anymore," he said.

A roar came from behind him.

Then came the sound of shattering.

Chen Mo turned back around.

That "self" was disintegrating.

Starting from the feet, it bit by bit turned into fragments.

Its face was full of resentment.

"How... did you know?"

"Because I am the present you," Chen Mo said. "Not the past."

That "self" gave him one last look.

Then it completely vanished.

[Killed the Mirror Image]

[Obtained: Self-Awareness +20]

[Mental Resistance has broken through the threshold]

[Current Mental Resistance: Immune to Grade E and below Mental Pollution]

The platform began to collapse.

Chen Mo walked towards the exit.

Behind him, the bottomless abyss was swallowing everything.

But he didn't look back.

The moment he pushed the door open, he heard the System notification.

[Third Floor Trial Completed]

[Rating: Perfect]

[Obtained Special Reward: Mental Barrier]

[Mental Barrier: Can be actively activated; immune to all mental attacks for 10 seconds; 1-hour cooldown]

Chen Mo stood at the doorway, looking at the road ahead.

The entrance to the fourth floor was waiting for him.

But he didn't keep going.

He needed to rest.

Breaking through the Mental Resistance threshold didn't mean he wouldn't get tired.

Chen Mo sat down at the doorway and closed his eyes.

The faces of those "selves" still surfaced in his mind.

The past him.

The present him.

The future him.

Every one of them was him.

But none of them were the whole.

He opened his eyes.

He stood up.

The fourth floor can wait until tomorrow.

For now, just stay alive.