The morning was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Sunlight streamed through the dusty windows of the antique shop, illuminating floating specks of dust that danced lazily in the air.
Shelves of strange artifacts sat quietly.
The ugly meditating frog statue was still ugly.
The old helmet with horns still looked uncomfortable.
And on the wall…
A mirror watched everything.
Inside that mirror, Lee Eunwoo was bored out of his mind.
"…This is torture."
Thirty minutes had passed since the old shop owner went into the back room.
Nothing had happened.
No customers.
No thieves.
No magical swordsmen.
Just silence.
Eunwoo sighed.
"I used to complain about office work… but at least there were chairs."
He stared at the shop entrance.
"If no one shows up today, I might actually lose my sanity."
As if the universe heard him—
The door suddenly opened.
Ding.
Eunwoo instantly focused.
"A customer!"
Two men walked into the shop.
They looked rough.
Both wore worn leather armor and carried weapons at their waists.
Their clothes were dusty, and one of them had a scar across his cheek.
Eunwoo's system immediately activated.
[Targets detected.]
Name: Brock
Occupation: Adventurer
Level: 14
Name: Taren
Occupation: Adventurer
Level: 12
Eunwoo blinked.
"Adventurers?"
His excitement rose.
"These guys must have abilities!"
The two men walked deeper into the shop.
Brock scratched his beard.
"Old Harun still running this place?"
Taren snorted.
"That fossil will probably outlive us."
They both laughed.
Then something caught Brock's attention.
The mirror.
He stopped walking.
"…Hey."
Taren turned.
"What?"
Brock pointed.
"That mirror."
Eunwoo mentally sat up straight.
"Yes yes come closer."
Taren frowned.
"…It's just a mirror."
But Brock stepped toward it anyway.
Eunwoo could see the man's rough face clearly now.
Scar.
Crooked nose.
Suspicious eyes.
Definitely the type who started fights in taverns.
Brock stared at his reflection.
Then he tilted his head.
"…Weird."
Taren walked over.
"What?"
Brock rubbed his chin.
"I feel like this mirror is staring back."
Eunwoo panicked.
"WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP SAYING THAT?!"
Taren rolled his eyes.
"You're imagining things."
Then he glanced at the mirror.
Right into Eunwoo's reflection.
The system activated again.
[Skills detected.]
Sword Skill: Heavy Cleave
Passive Ability: Combat Instinct
Eunwoo's eyes widened.
"Oh ho."
He waited.
"Come on… attack me… just once…"
Unfortunately, Brock had other ideas.
He suddenly grinned.
"You know what?"
Taren sighed.
"What now?"
Brock pulled out a small pouch.
"Let's test something."
He tossed the pouch into the air and caught it.
"Last night at the tavern, some idiot was screaming about a cursed mirror in this town."
Eunwoo froze.
"…Oh no."
Taren burst out laughing.
"You mean that drunk thief?"
"Yeah."
Brock smirked.
"He said the mirror attacked him."
Taren crossed his arms.
"And you believe him?"
Brock shrugged.
"Of course not."
Then he pulled out his sword.
"But I'm curious."
Eunwoo screamed internally.
"WAIT WAIT WAIT!"
Brock raised the sword.
"Let's see if the mirror can block this."
And he swung.
CLANG!
The sword struck the mirror.
Except…
The sword never touched it.
Instead—
The exact same sword strike appeared inside the reflection.
Then it burst outward.
BOOM.
Brock flew backwards.
He slammed into a shelf.
Artifacts crashed to the floor.
Taren stared in horror.
"…What."
Brock groaned from the floor.
"MY RIBS!"
Eunwoo blinked.
"…Oh."
The system chimed.
[Heavy Cleave successfully reflected.]
[Skill acquired: Heavy Cleave.]
Eunwoo stared at the unconscious Brock.
"…That worked."
Taren slowly looked at the mirror.
Then at Brock.
Then back at the mirror.
His face went pale.
"…The drunk guy was right."
He slowly stepped backward.
"That mirror…"
"…reflected the attack."
Eunwoo tried to look innocent.
Unfortunately mirrors were very bad at looking innocent.
Taren grabbed Brock and dragged him toward the door.
"We're leaving."
Brock groaned.
"Why…?"
Taren whispered urgently.
"You idiot!"
"That's not a normal artifact!"
Brock blinked.
"…Then what is it?"
Taren looked at the mirror one last time.
His voice trembled.
"That thing…"
"…judges sinners."
Eunwoo choked internally.
"I WHAT?!"
Taren dragged Brock out of the shop.
The door slammed shut.
Silence returned.
For several seconds Eunwoo said nothing.
Then he groaned.
"This misunderstanding is getting out of hand."
Another notification appeared.
[New Title Unlocked.]
Eunwoo braced himself.
"Please don't be embarrassing."
Title: Mirror That Judges Sinners
Effects:
• Reflection Power +15%
• Fear Aura +10%
Eunwoo stared blankly.
"…Fear aura?"
Outside the shop, Taren was already sprinting down the street.
Within hours, a brand-new rumor began spreading across the town.
A rumor about an ancient mirror artifact.
A mirror that could reflect any attack.
A mirror that punished those who dared challenge it.
A mirror that judged the souls of sinners.
Meanwhile, inside the dusty antique shop…
Lee Eunwoo sighed.
"…I just wanted someone with cool magic to stand in front of me."