The Abyssal Furnace pulsed with raw, ancient energy, casting a red glow that shimmered against the obsidian walls. Blazing Dawn had made it deeper into the dungeon than any guild on record. Yet the further they pressed, the hotter and more unstable the world became — fire was no longer an element here; it was a sentient force.
Aira stood before a bridge of molten iron, suspended above a river of living magma. Flame vents hissed violently around her, and the walls themselves breathed.
Kael wiped sweat from his brow. "How far until the core?"
Mira consulted her crystal. "One more chamber. Maybe two. But... something's changing."
Seris unsheathed her twin blades. "Everything feels heavier. Like the fire's... aware."
Aira took a step forward, the ground sizzling beneath her. Her mind replayed the Guildmaster's words before they entered: "The Furnace will test your heart, not just your strength."
She activated her System Menu.
> Clone Limit: 7 Active
> Talent Mastery: 81%
> Core Detection: ???
She nodded silently and summoned four Flame Clones, flanking the group in a diamond formation. They were the vanguard now — her mirror warriors.
---
Part I: The Molten Gauntlet
The bridge began to shift as they advanced. Pillars of magma shot upward, forming twisted shapes — flame wraiths.
"Hold position!" Aira shouted. "Clones forward!"
Two Flame Clones leapt into battle, engaging the wraiths with synchronized movements. Aira's real body followed with Mira casting shields and Kael generating gusts of freezing wind to offset the heat.
Seris vanished into the shadows.
The wraiths screeched and struck, but the clones absorbed their hits and detonated on command, clearing the way in explosive bursts.
They made it across the bridge with burns and bruises, but no deaths. Aira stood at the gate to the final chamber, sensing the shift. The flame inside her twisted — excited, yet wary.
Then the gate opened on its own.
---
Part II: The Infernal Mirror
The chamber was circular, vast, and empty.
Or so it seemed.
At the center hovered a Mirror of Cinder — an artifact with a glassy surface that reflected not just their appearance, but their essence.
Aira approached. The mirror shimmered... and displayed a different version of her.
Not broken. Not afraid. Ruthless.
This doppelgänger had a jagged flame crown and crimson armor. Behind her stood Flame Clones, hundreds strong, razing cities in the background.
> "Is that... me?" Aira whispered.
Kael grimaced. "A future? Or a warning?"
The mirror rippled — and the dark version stepped out.
> Boss Encounter: Mirror Aira — Scorch Empress (Simulation)
The chamber sealed.
---
Part III: Duel of Flames
Mirror Aira attacked with blistering speed, commanding clones like a general. Seven copies burst into formation.
Aira summoned her own — countering strike for strike. Each movement was mirrored, every spell challenged.
It was more than combat. It was philosophical. One fought to protect. The other to conquer.
Mira supported from the edge, using healing beams to patch up wounds. Kael disrupted Mirror Aira's formation with sudden gusts, while Seris aimed for weak spots.
But every time they thought they'd gained ground — Mirror Aira adapted.
Until Aira took a risk.
> "Detonate all clones at once. Full sync."
Her seven copies pulsed, glowed, and burst in harmony — a firestorm that even the Mirror couldn't reflect fully.
The Scorch Empress fell to one knee.
Aira stepped forward, blade glowing.
> "You are not my future. You are my fear."
She struck — flame meeting flame — and the Mirror shattered.
---
Part IV: The Heart's Choice
Where the mirror once stood, a pedestal emerged. Upon it: a Furnace Core, crackling with ancient fire.
A voice echoed — neither male nor female.
> "Power has been tested. But what of purpose? What burns brighter: destruction or protection? Choose."
Aira reached for the core.
Visions flashed. Cities burning. Her team dead. The world begging for salvation — or domination.
Then she remembered her first dungeon. Her promise to the children of Emberhold. Her vow to Mira. Her faith in Seris. Her shared dreams with Kael.
She chose Protection.
The core flared.
> Talent Evolution: Flame Clone (Ascended)
New Trait: Echo Flame — Clones retain partial sentience and can now relay experiences, making them extensions of your awareness.
---
Part V: Exodus
The chamber began to collapse.
With the core in hand, Aira summoned five clones to brace the falling debris. She formed a flame path for the team.
"Move!" she commanded.
They dashed through fire and ruin. Seris held Kael's arm as he limped. Mira cast shields to block falling magma.
Aira remained behind for the last second — until her final clone pulled her forward with a shove.
They erupted from the coll
apsing temple in a geyser of ash and heat.
Outside, Guild banners waved. Reinforcements had arrived.
The Furnace had fallen.
But Emberhold still stood.