Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

The clone that emerged from the Mirroring Well was indistinguishable from the original Heavenly Victory in every conceivable way.

The same cascading twin-fluffs of shimmering silver hair streaked with crimson, the same glowing heterochromatic eyes—one a vortex of spiraling green, the other a blue lens with a golden crosshair. Even the smirk curling her lips carried the same haughty, self-assured air.

But it wasn't just her appearance; her aura radiated the same overwhelming presence. Her movements mirrored the confidence of one who could bend reality itself. Her words, sharp and smug, carried the same cadence, as though a fragment of the original soul had been perfectly replicated within this new vessel.

Had she really pulled the exact same Heavenly Victory from another fragment of existence out of luck, or was there manipulation behind this?

I glanced at the others, their postures tense, weapons at the ready. But something within me—a sense sharpened by my ascension—revealed the truth hidden beneath their facades.

None of my confidantes, save Lupina, were genuinely concerned about the escalating situation.

Verina, standing with her usual composed expression, was barely trying. She held her crystalline musket at her side, her deadpan face hiding a sense of amusement. The Furnace's energy hummed softly around her, the temperature subtly rising and falling in rhythm with her idle thoughts.

To anyone else, she seemed focused and serious, but I could see through her. She wanted the situation to escalate—just enough to test the limits of her powers, particularly her Furnace.

She'd held back since the moment the first Heavenly Victory had emerged. Her slow, measured movements and calculated heat manipulations were nothing more than playful experiments. In reality, Verina could have incinerated the first clone within seconds. But where was the fun in that?

Then there was Viviane, ever composed and stoic on the surface, though I could feel the ember of a hidden fire within her.

She wasn't as reserved as she appeared.

She had been intentionally passive, casting defensive wards and offering support to the bastioneers while leaving the offensive work to them. Why? Because she was enjoying herself, even if she wouldn't admit it outright.

She had opposed the idea of engaging with the Mirroring Well, yes—but now that it was done, she was quietly thrilled to witness the drama unfold.

It was something that probably only I and Kuzunoha still take into account when it comes to our elder nymph—she was still one of those mischievous and insufferable faes.

And Kuzunoha? Well, Kuzunoha was Kuzunoha. She had practically encouraged this whole endeavor, her enthusiasm barely contained as we approached the Mirroring Well. She'd been far too amused by my suggestion to use the artifact for the bastion's benefit, and now she stood watching, her crimson eyes sparkling with a mix of curiosity and mischief.

Her movements, her spells, even her protective measures—all deliberate choices to prolong the encounter and savor the spectacle.

Their actions—or lack thereof—painted a clear picture.

They were all just as reckless and unserious as I was. Perhaps even more so.

This was why I had intervened. These bored, daredevil freaks weren't going to take things seriously until something truly catastrophic happened, now that they were following a literal demigod who could just rip space without care.

And as much as I trusted their capabilities, I wasn't about to let their search for amusement jeopardize my bastioneers—or my carefully crafted bastion.

"Haaa… these dolts…"

The second Heavenly Victory stepped forward, her voluminous hair swaying dramatically as though caught in an invisible breeze. Her cane tapped against the ground with a hollow echo, her clawed fingers twitching with anticipation. She tilted her head, her heterochromatic eyes narrowing as she surveyed the scene, her smile widening with every second.

"Oh, my," she purred, her voice dripping with mockery. "It seems you've gone through so much trouble for little old me. How flattering. But now that I'm here, shall we see who truly holds the reins of—"

Before she could finish her sentence, I spoke.

"Enough."

My voice cut through the air like the fall of the curtain call, guttural and infused with the divine weight of my will. It wasn't a shout, nor was it overly loud. But it carried with it a commanding presence that froze even the second Heavenly Victory mid-sentence.

The air grew heavy, the atmosphere charged with a tension that seemed to ripple outward from my words as I outsourced my annoyance into four concentrated words.

"Get it over with."

That was all I needed to say.

Verina and Kuzunoha moved simultaneously, their forms blurring into streaks of motion faster than the eye could follow. One moment, they stood still; the next, they appeared behind the newly summoned clone, their presence overwhelming every existence in their proximity.

Verina's Furnace roared to life, the heat around her spiking to a blistering intensity. Her once-aloof demeanor had vanished, replaced by an expression of grim reaper that was about to reap a hundred souls. Kuzunoha, meanwhile, wore a smile so sharp it could cut through space and time itself—her crimson aura swirling around her like a storm.

The second Heavenly Victory barely had time to react.

Her heterochromatic eyes widened in shock as Verina's hand clamped down on her shoulder, the heat from her Furnace searing through the clone's defenses.

At the same time, Kuzunoha's shadowy tendrils coiled around the clone's limbs, yanking her off the ground with bone-rattling force.

What followed could hardly be called a fight.

The second Heavenly Victory was physically dragged across the battlefield, her form slamming into the ground, the landscape, and even the air itself as the sheer force of Verina's and Kuzunoha's relentless harassment denied her any semblance of control.

It was brutal, efficient, and almost clinical in its execution, since there was no permanent damage done to the second Heavenly Victory, denying her of her own epitheth.

Our plan was to expand our manpower after all.

The second clone's smug expression had long since vanished, replaced by a grimace of disbelief and despair.

Though, to be fair to her, her divine influence—her domain of 'Heavenly Victory'—seemed to be not as effective and presence in this Carcosa. Perhaps because this wasn't her world, or perhaps because my confidantes were simply that powerful.

Either way, the result was the same.

She was utterly outmatched.

Meanwhile, I remained where I was, pinning the original Heavenly Victory to the ground with one hand wrapped firmly around her neck.

The first clone's once-confident smile had morphed into an awkward, terrified grin. Her green vortex eye spun erratically, as though mirroring her fraying composure.

"I yield!" she squeaked, her voice high-pitched and shaky. "I yield, I yield, I yield!"

"I'm not deaf, you don't need to say that multiple times."

"Please… don't kill me…"

Her words carried no weight, no authority. In this moment, she was no longer a divine threat—just a scared hamster that was about to cry a river if I made any sudden movement.

As the dust settled, the battlefield's chaos seemed to fade into a calmer state. The two Heavenly Victories, once brimming with divine arrogance, now lay subdued and restrained.

As for the ongoing spawning of Calamity Objects, Primus bombarded them from existence the moment they were in our perception.

It was time to secure these two Demigods

"Kuzunoha," I said, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "Bring out your collection."

The crimson gleam in her eyes brightened as she snapped her fingers. From her arcane storage two intricate cuffs materialized—Theotech artifacts, their surfaces engraved with shifting runes that seemed to rewrite themselves in real-time. They pulsed faintly with an otherworldly energy, radiating authority and control.

"Freshly curated from my collection~" she said with a playful lilt, her crimson lips curling into a smile. "Strong enough to bind gods, tested only once in the last thousand years. A perfect match for our troublesome guests."

When we first met, Kuzunoha had always opposed using her Theotech collection for our cause. But now, she would just immediately bring them out to appease me.

She did this to piss off Verina, showing her that there was one thing that she would never be able to achieve in this life.

With practiced ease, Verina and Kuzunoha affixed the cuffs to each Heavenly Victory.

The moment the artifacts snapped into place, the clones visibly recoiled, their divine auras dimming as the runes flared to life. The restraints worked as intended, suppressing their overwhelming presence and reducing them to manageable entities.

Both clones were pulled to their feet, their heads bowed slightly, though the first Heavenly Victory still managed to let out a wry, nervous smile.

"Well," she said, her voice shaky but trying to maintain a semblance of confidence, "I suppose this isn't… my worst defeat."

"You're not in a position to talk," I said with a warm and gentle smile, tightening my grip on her arm as she flinched.

"Hiikh!"

Charis, still cradling Lupina, approached with a calm but deliberate stride. Her white eyes glowed faintly as she gazed at the clones, her serene expression giving way to a flicker of intensity. "I'll assess their souls," she said softly. "If there's even a fragment of deception left, I'll uncover it."

Beside her, Lupina grinned wickedly, her disembodied head floating slightly higher. "And I'll help," she chirped. "I love a good interrogation~"

"You can't barely hold out your composure all the time, though," Charis teased.

"Hey! As long as I'm not the one who got interrogated, I can also spew menacing words as well!"

"Pfft," Charis immediately threw her face to the side, trying to hide her severe amusement.

"It is true!" Lupina cried.

I gestured to Verina, who stood with her arms crossed—her violet gaze never leaving the clones. "Verina, you're in charge of the interrogation alongside Charis and Lupina. Use your Furnace if necessary, but don't overdo it. We need their cognitive function and critical thinking intact."

"Understood," Verina said with an excited deadpan. "I'll make sure they're nice and cooperative."

With the clones secured in the vicinity, and the Ordeal decided to have a small nap, the battlefield returned to silence, save for the faint hum of the Landship's engines in the background.

The spiraling moon of madness loomed overhead, casting its crimson light across the scarred ground.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"That was… anticlimactic," Viviane commented, Her tone carried a subtle undercurrent of disappointment, as though she had expected—or hoped—for the situation to escalate further.

I turned to her, an eyebrow raised. "Anticlimactic? Coming from you?" My voice carried a hint of humor. "Weren't you the one lecturing me about the risks of using the Mirroring Well just a while ago?"

She shrugged, her expression stoic as always as she pulled off her mischief. "If something's going to happen, it might as well go all out. Half-measures are dull."

Kuzunoha, clearly entertained, clapped her hands together. "Oh, I couldn't agree more~" she said, her tone dripping with mockery as she cast a sidelong glance at me. "Really, darling, you should have let things escalate a bit more. It's such a shame to end the fun so quickly."

I could only smile with warmth and gentleness. "You're one to talk."